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Chapter 18.62 — Adult Business Uses

Santa Clara Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · Santa Clara

Sections:

18.62.010 – Purpose and Applicability 18.62.020 – Location of Adult-Oriented Business Uses

18.62.010 – Purpose and Applicability

It is the purpose of this Chapter to regulate the location, development, and operation of adult-oriented business uses, which tend to have judicially recognized adverse secondary effects on the community, including but not limited to increases in crime in the vicinity of adult businesses; increases in vacancies in residential and commercial areas in the vicinity of adult businesses; interference with residential property owners’ enjoyment of their properties when the properties are located in the vicinity of adult businesses as a result of increases in crime, litter, noise, and vandalism; and the deterioration of neighborhoods. Special regulation of these businesses is necessary to prevent these adverse secondary effects and the blighting or degradation of the neighborhoods in the vicinity of adult businesses while at the same time protecting the First Amendment rights of those individuals who desire to own, operate, or patronize adult businesses. This Chapter establishes reasonable and uniform location criteria for adult-oriented business uses.

18.62.020 – Location of Adult-Oriented Business Uses

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  • C-R Zone. Adult-oriented business uses are only allowed with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit in the C-R zone as shown in Table 2-4 (Commercial Zones Allowed Uses and Permit Requirements).

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  • Distances. Notwithstanding the above, no adult bookstore, adult motion picture theater, adult cabaret, adult hotel/motel, or any other adult entertainment establishment or adult-oriented business use shall be established within certain specified distances of certain land uses or zones as specified below. No adult-oriented business uses shall be established or located within:

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  • 500 feet from a parcel, located within or outside the City limits, situated in a Residential or a Mixed-Use zone.

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  • 500 feet from another parcel, located within or outside the City limits, used for any adultoriented business use.

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  • 500 feet from another parcel, located within or outside the City limits, used for any restricted personal services use.

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  • 500 feet from any other parcel, located within or outside the City limits, used for a public or private State-licensed child day care center and/or large family day care facility, nursery school, elementary school, secondary school, junior high school, high school, community college, or university).

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  • Measurement of Distances. The distance between two adult-oriented business uses or any of the other zones or land uses identified in Subsection B. (Distances), above, shall be measured in compliance with Section 18.04.050 (Measurement of Separation Requirements).

Santa Clara Zoning Code, Title 18 July 2025

4-39

18 Attachment 1:320

Publication, Apr 2026

ZONING

Chapter 18.64

Density Bonus and Affordable Housing

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▸ Contents — Santa Clara Zoning Code
Santa Clara Zoning Code
  1. Article 1 — Enactment and Applicability
  2. Chapter 18.02 — Purpose and Applicability of Zoning Code
  3. Chapter 18.04 — Interpretation of the Zoning Code Provisions
  4. Chapter 18.06 — Zoning Map and Zones
  5. Chapter 18.10 — Residential Zones (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, UC,…
  6. Chapter 18.12 — Commercial Zones (C-C, C-N, C-R)
  7. Chapter 18.14 — Mixed Use Zones (MU-NC, MU-CC, MU-RC, MU-MD, M…
  8. Chapter 18.16 — Office and Industrial Zones (LO-RD, HO-RD, LI,…
  9. Chapter 18.18 — Special Purpose Zones (OS, PQP)
  10. Chapter 18.20 — Planned Development Zone (PD)
  11. Chapter 18.22 — Lawrence Station Area Plan Zoning District (LS…
  12. Chapter 18.24 — Two-Unit Dwelling Residential Development and …
  13. Chapter 18.26 — Downtown Form-Based Code
  14. Chapter 18.30 — Site Planning and General Development Standards
  15. Chapter 18.32 — Residential Accessory Structures
  16. Chapter 18.34 — Fences, Walls, Hedges, and Screens
  17. Chapter 18.36 — Landscaping Standards
  18. Chapter 18.38 — Off-Street Parking Regulations and Design Stan…
  19. Chapter 18.40 — Performance Standards
  20. Chapter 18.42 — Sign Standards
  21. Chapter 18.60 — Standards for Specific Land Uses
  22. Chapter 18.62 — Adult Business Uses
  23. Chapter 18.64 — Density Bonus and Affordable Housing
  24. Chapter 18.66 — Wireless Telecommunications Facilities
  25. Chapter 18.90 — General Nonconforming Provisions
  26. Chapter 18.92 — Nonconforming Structures
  27. Chapter 18.94 — Nonconforming Uses
  28. Chapter 18.96 — Nonconforming Parcels
  29. Chapter 18.98 — Other Specific Nonconforming Provisions
  30. Chapter 18.110 — General Provisions
  31. Chapter 18.112 — Application Processing Procedures
  32. Chapter 18.114 — Conditional and Minor Use Permits
  33. Chapter 18.116 — Off-Site Parking Permits
  34. Chapter 18.118 — Reasonable Accommodation
  35. Chapter 18.120 — Architectural Review
  36. Chapter 18.122 — Temporary Use Permits
  37. Chapter 18.124 — Variances and Minor Modifications
  38. Chapter 18.126 — Zoning Clearances
  39. Chapter 18.128 — Permit Implementation, Time Limits, and Exten…
  40. Chapter 18.130 — Historic Preservation
  41. Title 18 — Zoning Code

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