Chapter 13-12 — HTC Historic Town Center District

Hercules Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · Hercules

Sec. 13-12.100 Specific Purposes. ¶

In addition to the general purposes listed in Section 13-5.100, the specific purposes of the HTC historic town center district are to:

A. Preserve the historic design and character of the area’s buildings and allow the reuse of existing structures, where appropriate, such as the Clubhouse which is to be retained as a community center.

B. Allow the addition of new buildings while maintaining the architectural quality of the area.

C. Promote the development of Railroad Avenue into the “Main Street” of the historic town center district.

D. Provide for a variety of professional, administrative and personal service offices as well as retail businesses that support the offices and provide services and goods to visitors of the adjacent waterfront area.

E. Allow for multifamily dwellings in areas separated from Railroad Avenue by existing or planned buildings if compatible with adjacent existing and planned development.

F. Incorporate visual and physical access to the Bay shoreline within project designs.

G. Establish view corridors and viewpoints to protect and promote views to the Bay.

The additional purposes of the historic town center zoning district are:

A. HTC Historic Town Center. To permit a wide range of office and administrative uses along with supporting retail commercial uses while retaining the historic character of the area. To also allow for multifamily residential uses if compatible with existing and planned development. New development is typically to be 1 to 3 stories in height, with a FAR of 0.15 to 0.40 (typical FAR of 0.20) and a residential density of up to 17 units per acre with no more than 40 units to be developed within the district. [Ord. 544 § 3, 2023; Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 12.100.]

Sec. 13-12.200 Review of Plans and General Conditions. ¶

Plans for all new and expanded development and uses shall be submitted to the Community Development Director as per Section 13-40.300. The following general conditions shall apply to all areas designated HTC historic town center.

All new and expanded commercial and office development shall be subject to Chapter 13-42, Design Review, and if over 1 acre shall be subject to Chapter 13-48, Planned Development Plans.
All new and expanded uses shall be consistent with an adopted planned development plan for the property and shall require an administrative or conditional use permit. Open space areas with natural areas and passive use on lawn areas and trails are permitted without being subject to use permit approval.
All new and expanded residential development shall be subject to Chapter 13-42, Design Review, and to Chapter 13-48, Planned Development Plans. [Ord. 544 § 3, 2023; Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 12.200.]

Sec. 13-12.300 Performance Standards. ¶

The standard performance standards for development specified in Chapter 13-31 shall be met. In addition, the following specific performance standards shall be met:

Design guidelines addressing building architecture, historic design styles and elevations, and compatible fencing, landscaping, lighting, and accessory structures shall be prepared prior to approval of new and expanded development within this district. All new and expanded development shall comply with the adopted design guidelines for the site.
Light and Glare. Structures should use nonreflective surfaces, and night lighting is to be designed to minimize glare within the historic district.
Pedestrian Trail. Public access along the existing pedestrian trail shall be maintained.
Soils and Geology. Where possible, development of buildings over areas of Bay mud should be avoided. Development shall meet all requirements of geology and soils reports.
Noise. Predrilling shall be required for driving piles in the historic area. [Ord. 544 § 3, 2023; Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 12.300.]

Sec. 13-12.400 Land Use Regulations. ¶

All new and expanded development and uses that are allowed in the HTC historic town center zoning district are identified in Table 13-12.1. These uses may be permitted in the HTC historic town center zoning district subject to compliance with Chapter 13-49 and approval by the Community Development Director. [Ord. 544 § 3, 2023; Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 12.400.]

Sec. 13-12.500 Property Development Regulations. ¶

The property development regulations presented in Table 13-12.2 establish basic site and design requirements for the HTC historic town center zoning district. All regulation standards are minimum amounts unless otherwise stated.

Table 13-12.1 Land Use Regulations: HTC Historic Town Center

	HTC	See Also
Commercial Uses

		HTC	See Also
Retail Stores
2,000 sq ft or less	A
More than 2,000 sq ft	C
Grocery and/or Liquor	C
Home Occupation	A
Bed and Breakfast Inn/Hotel	C
Outdoor Retail Sales and Services
Permanent	C
Temporary	A
Recreation and Entertainment	C
Restaurants, Delicatessens and Bars	A
With Liquor Service	C
Services and Ofces
Banks and Other Financial	A
Services

		See	Also
Business and Personal Services	A
Business and Professional	A
Ofces
Residential Uses
Caretaker, Guest and Employee	A
Housing
Multifamily Dwelling	P
Townhouse/Condominium	P
Rooming and Boarding Houses	C
Family Daycare Home (14 or fewer	P
children)
Senior Housing	P(2)
Single-Room Occupancy Units	C	Section	13-
		35.332
Supportive Housing	P(2)
Transitional Housing	P(2)
Low-Barrier Navigation Center	P	Section	13-
		35.260

	HTC	See Also
Public and Quasi-Public Uses
Daycare Facilities (for employees,	A
visitors and passengers)
Government Ofces	A
Libraries, Museums and Galleries	A
Park and Recreation Facilities	A
Public Safety Facilities	C
Accessory Uses and Structures	A(1)
Key to Land Use Regulations
A Administrative Use Permit Required
C Conditional Use Permit Required
P Permitted Use
(1) Facility or use is directly related to	the primary use of site.

HTC See Also

(2) Subject to only those standards that are applicable to other residential uses of a similar type within the same zoning district and in compliance with all relevant Federal and State licensing requirements.

Table 13-12.2 Property Development Regulations: HTC Historic Town Center

		HTC
Site Area (sf)		—
Density (FAR)(1)
	Range	0.15 to 0.40
	Typical	0.20
Density (du/ac)		17(1)
Lot Size (sq ft)		5,000(2)
Lot Frontage (ft)		50(2)
Lot Depth (ft)		100(2)
Setbacks
	Front (ft)	10(3)
	Rear (ft)	20(3)

		HTC	See Also
	Side (ft)	5(3)
	Corner Side (ft)	10(3)
Maximum Site Coverage		40%
Landscaping Minimum		10%
Building Height (ft)		35
Parking		(PDP)	Chapter 13- 32
Signage		(PDP)	Chapter 13- 34

Key to Land Use Regulations
(1)	FAR does not apply to residential development, density subject to 40 unit maximum within HTC district.
(2)	Lesser lot size and dimensions may be accepted in an approved planned development plan.
(3)	Lesser setbacks may be accepted in an approved planned development plan.
(PDP)	Or as per an approved planned development plan.

[Ord. 554 § 2, 2025; Ord. 549 § 3, 2024; Ord. 544 § 3, 2023; Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; Ord. 484 § 5, 2015; ZO § 12.500.]

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The Hercules Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 555, passed March 25, 2025.

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