PMC was hired to develop the first zoning code for the newly incorporated City of Rancho Cordova to implement the new vision for the city as outlined in the General Plan. Rancho Cordova today is a jobs-rich community with a diverse population, an aging housing stock, and room to grow. Located centrally in the Sacramento region, Rancho Cordova wants a balanced and connected community with a strong sense of place in a vibrant urban setting. The code update process engaged all City staff to create a code that is embraced by all departments.

The Zoning Code was designed as a tool to help transform Rancho Cordova’s built environment. The code avoids common pitfalls that can create unnecessary procedural and regulatory obstacles, such as difficult-to-understand language, overly complex organization structures, rigid single-use districts and standards, and contradictory language. The code accomplishes the following:

• Incorporates innovative zoning provisions such as smart growth techniques, form-based standards, and performance standards.
• Establishes streamlined administrative procedures that are effective and easy to implement.
• Organizes the code to be user-friendly, presenting information in a clear and concise manner
• Expands the City’s use of mixed-use districts and provides tested development standards, incentives, and examples from around the country that facilitate construction and financial feasibility of mixed-use projects
• Uses form-based provisions in specific target areas to achieve the General Plan visions for more desirable development patterns. These provisions can provide more flexibility and remove regulatory obstacles to certain types of development – particularly mixed-use.
• Creates a Web-based interactive zoning code that unites the zoning map with zoning text information.

City Website