Article 4 — R/MU-CL: Residential/Mixed-Use Zoning District

The R/MU-CL zoning district provides for a mix of or a single use of retail, services, restaurants, offices, higher density residential, and/or civic uses. This flexibility allows the ability to create interesting projects and other spaces at the core of the community, and to relate to the surrounding land uses and activities.

(Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 22-431 § 1)

• A. Any use listed as permitted in Section 17.62.032 : permitted uses in the HR-CL district, except duplexes east of Golden Valley Parkway.

• B. Services including, but not limited to:

  1. Arts instruction (music, dance, painting)

  2. Appliance and equipment repair (small)

  3. Automatic teller machine

  4. Barber/beauty shop/nail salon

  5. Copying and printing

  6. Drapery and blind installation

  7. Dry cleaner/laundry (no plant on premises)

  8. Format wear/rental

  9. Laundromat

  10. Locksmith

  11. Photographic studio

  12. Tailor

  13. Travel agency

  14. Watch and clock repair.

• C. Local serving retail including, but not limited to:

  1. Apparel/accessories

  2. Art gallery/supply store

  3. Automotive supply

  4. Bagel/donut shop

  5. Bakery

  6. Beauty supply store

  7. Beer/wine store, sales-tasting

  8. Bicycle shop

  9. Bookstore/newsstand

  10. Cafe

  11. Camera equipment and supply

  12. Candy and confectioners

  13. Computers/electronic equipment

  14. Coffeehouse

  15. Costume/wig shop

  16. Consignment/thrift store

  17. Fabric/craft store

  18. Delicatessen

  19. Drug/pharmacy (prescription and over the counter)

  20. Dry goods

  21. Floor coverings

  22. Florist/plant shop (fertilizer to be stored and sold only in packaged form)

  23. Food/grocery store—Supermarkets, markets, health, specialty, other

  24. Gift shop/novelties

25. Hardware

26. Home appliances

27. Ice cream/yogurt shop

28. Jewelry store

29. Music store

30. Paint, glass and wallpaper store

31. Party supplies

32. Pet store and supplies

33. Phone/Internet service provider

34. Postal/mail store

35. Picture framing shop

36. Restaurant (no drive-through)

37. Shoe store/shoe repair

38. Specialty goods, including cooking supplies, house wares, linen, window coverings, china/glassware, etc.

39. Sporting goods

40. Stationery/office supplies/card shop

41. Toy store/hobby shop

42. Variety store

43. Video store, subject to limitations of Chapter 5.08 of the Lathrop Municipal Code.

• D. Business and professional offices, including, but not limited to:

  1. Professional offices including accounting, architectural, dental, engineering, legal, etc.

  2. Small business offices.

• E. Other uses including, but not limited to:

  1. Outdoor seating for food establishments

  2. Parking lot.

• F. Incidental and accessory structures and uses on the same site as a permitted use.

• G. Other uses added to this list by the planning commission according to the procedures in Section 17.16.020 of the Lathrop Municipal Code.

• (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 22-431 § 1; Ord. 25-462, 2/10/2025)

The following uses may be permitted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.108 of the Lathrop Zoning Code:

• A. Enclosed temporary construction materials storage yards required in connection with the development of a subdivision in accordance with Section 17.16.010 of the Lathrop Zoning Code.

• B. Temporary subdivision sales offices and signs, model homes, and model home display areas in accordance with Section 17.16.010 .

• C. Home occupations in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.64 of the Lathrop Zoning Code.

• D. Garden structures in accordance with the development standards described in this chapter.

• E. Tennis courts, including related fencing over seven feet in height located on the same site as a permitted or conditional use.

• F. Banks, savings and loan and other financial institutions.

• G. Electrical transmission and distribution sub-stations, gas regulator stations, public service pumping stations and elevated pressure tanks.

• H. Garden supply and plant nurseries.

• I. Liquor, packaged.

• J. Medical, optometry, and dental clinics and offices.

• K. Recreational facility—Indoor.

• L. Incidental and accessory structures and uses on the same site as a use permitted by administrative approval or conditional use.

• M. Other uses added to this list according to the procedures in Section 17.16.020 . (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 22-431 § 1)

The following uses may be permitted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.112 of the Lathrop Zoning Code:

• A. State authorized licensed day care centers.

• B. Churches and other religious facilities.

• C. Modest expansion or remodeling of an existing nonconforming use of a structure or land, up to 50% or less of the value of the structure, or reestablishment of a nonconforming use which has been damaged, except nonconforming signs and outdoor advertising structures, nonconforming uses occupying a structure with an assessed valuation of less than $200, and nonconforming fences, walls and hedges.

• D. Gas and electric transmission lines in accordance with Section 17.108.080 of the Lathrop Zoning Code, electrical distribution substations, gas regulator stations, communications equipment buildings, public service pumping stations and elevated pressure tanks.

• E. Public and quasi-public uses of an educational or religious type, including parochial schools, colleges, nursery schools, private non-profit schools and colleges, churches, parsonages and other religious institutions.

• F. Public uses of an administrative, recreational, public service or cultural type including post offices, libraries, museums, art galleries, and other public buildings, structures and facilities; and

community centers, senior centers and youth centers.

• G. Public and private charitable institutions, hospitals, sanitariums, including a state authorized, certified or licensed family care homes, foster homes or group homes serving seven or more mentally disordered or otherwise handicapped persons, including rehabilitation homes for the alcohol and/or chemically dependent, or dependent and neglected children, where such homes provide care on a 24 hour basis.

• H. Reclaimed water storage and water quality ponds.

• I. Spray fields.

• J. Storm drain detention and retention ponds.

• K. Bars, cocktail lounges or nightclubs.

• L. Microbreweries.

• M. Street fair or farmer's market.

• N. Theater—Indoor (dinner, movie, live play, etc.).

• O. Video arcade.

• P. Large residential care home as defined in Section 17.04.080 .

• Q. Other uses added to this list according to the procedures in Section 17.16.020 of the Lathrop Zoning Code.

• (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 22-431 § 1; Ord. 26-479, 3/9/2026)

Specific development standards for the Residential Mixed Use (RMU-CL) district shall be established as part of the Central Lathrop design guidelines review by incorporating the design standards identified in Section 17.62.120 of this chapter and by establishing the following design principals:

• A. By utilizing a creative approach to landscaping and screening, parking areas shall not become the predominant feature of the streetscape, especially as it relates to adjacent open spaces and arterial streets.

• B. Landscaping and irrigation standards shall generally follow those required by Chapter 17.92 and may be modified by the required design guidelines review by city staff, prior to issuance of. development or building permits.

• C. Building setbacks shall be varied in accordance with corresponding building heights, uses and proposed shop front and street activity.

• D. Minimum parking requirements, such as type and number of parking stalls, shall generally follow Sections 17.62.120 and 17.84.010 , and may be modified by the required design guidelines review by city staff, prior to issuance of development or building permits.

• E. All signage shall be consistent with the Central Lathrop Master Signage Plan adopted generally in accordance with Chapter 17.84 of the Lathrop Zoning Code, and included as a component of the Central Lathrop Specific Plan Design Guidelines.

• F. Pedestrian circulation within the city center environment is a priority and a strong emphasis on access to the main street spine shall be maintained.

• G. Buildings will be sited such that they frame the space in which they are sited, while maintaining a strong visual and pedestrian interface with surrounding areas.

• H. Retail and service related uses shall maintain a pedestrian friendly design by utilizing sidewalks for use by pedestrians and for window shopping, cafe table use and the like,

• I. All businesses, services and processes shall be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed structure, except for off-street parking and off-street loading areas, gasoline service stations, outdoor dining areas, florist stands, coffee carts, nurseries, garden shops, signs, Christmas tree sales lots, farmer markets, bus depots and transit stations, public utility stations, vehicle sales and storage and other uses found to be acceptable outdoor uses by the planning commission.

• J. No use shall be permitted, and no process, equipment or materials shall be used which are found by the planning commission to be objectionable to persons living or working in the vicinity by reasons of odor, fumes, dust, smoke, cinders, dirt, refuse, water-carried waste, noise, vibration, illumination, glare or unsightliness or to involve any hazard of fire, explosion or toxic chemicals.

• K. Temporary sidewalk sales and use of the public right-of-way for the display and sales of merchandise shall require approval by the public works director. Permanent use for such purposes is strictly prohibited.

• L. The following elements may project into the right-of-way: entry features up to 12 inches, awnings up to five feet, bay windows up to three feet. Awnings, bay windows, and other similar elements must have a minimum of eight feet clearance above the sidewalk.

• (Ord. 04-245 § 3)

No use shall be established on any lot or site in any R/MU district until a site plan and architectural plans have been submitted to and approved by the city pursuant to the Central Lathrop Design Review process, and such lot or site has been fully developed with the improvements required by the city. The Central Lathrop design review process shall take the place of the site plan review for which provision is made in Chapter 17.100 of the Lathrop Municipal Code and the architectural design review for which provision is made in Chapter 17.104 of the Lathrop Municipal Code. Design review is required for all proposed structures, whether residential or non-residential, together with related site plans, landscaping, and public improvements associated with new development within the Central Lathrop Specific Plan area.

Housing developments that include a minimum 20% of units affordable to lower income households shall be ministerial and exempt from this section. (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 22-442 § 1; Ord. 25-462, 2/10/2025)

All uses shall be subject to the general provisions and exceptions prescribed in Chapter 17.16 . (Ord. 04-245 § 3)