Zoning districts and maps

The zoning regulations specify the uses allowed and development standards for each zoning district. There are three kinds of zoning districts: 

• Primary district
• Built form overlay district
• Overlay district

All property in the city is in both a primary district and a built form overlay district.  The zoning maps show the location of each primary, built form overlay, and overlay zoning district.

Primary districts

A primary district is any of several urban neighborhood, residential mixed-use, commercial mixed-use, downtown, production or transportation districts. All property within the city is included within a primary zoning district. These districts determine what uses are allowed in each area of the city. In the zoning code, these districts are described in Chapter 530. Regulations for where uses are allowed are described in Chapter 545.

Built form overlay districts

A built form overlay district is any of several interior, corridor, transit, core, production, and parks overlay districts that are established to guide the scale of development in a manner that aligns with the planned development patterns of each district by regulating features such as building height, floor area, yards, lot coverage, impervious surfaces, and lot sizes. In the zoning code, these districts are described in Chapter 540.

Overlay districts

An overlay district is any of several additional districts established by the zoning regulations that may be more or less restrictive than the primary or built form overlay zoning district. Where a property is located within an overlay district, it is subject to the provisions of the primary zoning district, the built form overlay district, and the overlay district. Where the provisions are in conflict, the overlay district from Chapter 535 governs.

Overlay districts are established to preserve and protect the natural environment, to encourage high quality design, to address the development of uses with unique impacts, and to protect the public health, safety and welfare by preserving areas for future use and development. In the City's zoning code, these districts are described in Chapter 535.