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Camarillo planners endorse zoning-code rewrite to streamline reviews and add flexibility
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend a package of zoning ordinance amendments to the City Council that would replace chapter-specific use lists with a land-use matrix, measure ancillary uses by floor area (up to 49%) instead of gross-sales percentage, allow some restaurants and museums in more zones, lengthen permit terms from 12 to 24 months, and grant directors more discretion with appeal routes to the commission.
The Camarillo Planning Commission unanimously adopted a resolution (PC2025-14) recommending City Council approval of a comprehensive set of zoning ordinance amendments intended to clarify use rules, streamline development review and add flexibility for economic development.
An unnamed staff presenter summarized the package: replace separate use lists across commercial and industrial chapters with a consolidated land-use matrix; regulate ancillary uses by square footage rather than percentage of gross sales (staff proposed a 49% gross-floor-area cap for ancillary uses as a clearer enforcement metric); allow laundry and dry-cleaning facilities in the Village Commercial Mixed Use zone; make restaurants permitted uses in several additional zones; permit museums in the M1 zone to encourage adaptive reuse of vacant industrial buildings; and remove the director-level conditional use permit (DCUP) process for most cases.
On process changes, staff proposes creating a standalone plan-development-permit and appeals chapter, a permit-application withdrawal process for applications incomplete after 180 days, increasing permit terms from 12 to 24 months with director extension authority and the ability to elevate time-extension requests to the Planning Commission. Staff also described proposed flexibility for drive-thru window configurations, director discretion on off-street parking siting, and reduced loading-space-depth requirements where operationally appropriate.
During public comment, Mike Brown (who identified himself with a local winery/brewery) said the ancillary-use definition and a move to a square-foot approach felt targeted to his industry, said he had long-standing unresolved issues with staff and requested more prior dialogue. Dennis Hargrave, a longtime land-use practitioner, praised the package as forward-looking and urged commissioners to consider allowing churches in the LM zone under a conditional use permit as part of broader zoning fixes.
Staff responded that the change is not aimed at alcohol beverage manufacturers and that moving from a 30% gross-sales ancillary cap to a square-foot limit (up to 49% of gross floor area under CUP review) offers more transparent, enforceable standards. Staff said uses that would trigger CEQA review or raise significant impacts would still be brought to the commission, and broader land-use items such as churches in LM would be analyzed as part of the upcoming comprehensive general-plan update.
Commissioners asked for clarifications and guardrails on director-level similar-use determinations, conditions on tasting or event activities associated with ancillary uses, and how CEQA would be handled for specific projects. Staff said that project-specific CUP review would allow conditions to address impacts and that anything requiring CEQA review would be elevated to the commission. The commission voted to adopt Resolution PC2025-14 and forward the amendments as recommended changes to the City Council for consideration and possible adoption.
