Merced’s zoning code to get first update in 50 years

The Merced City Council is set to go over a new zoning ordinance code as early as next week, updating rules that govern the city for the first time in half a century, according to city staff.

The code regulates everything from where a business can set up to the allowed height of a home’s backyard fence. The code describes itself as a guide that “implements the goals and policies of the Merced General Plan,” the document that sets out long-range planning for the city.

The 50-year-old code doesn’t have entries on businesses that didn’t exist in the 1960s, like dialysis centers or Internet cafes. It had no descriptions to regulate video stores, when those existed, nor the more modern automated DVD vending machines.

City staff have said an easy-to-use zoning code could mean much for developing commerce in Merced.

“This is critical to the economic development of our city,” Development Services Director David Gonzalves said recently.

City staff and local business people held 17 meetings to comb through the old zoning code and try to streamline it. The original zoning code was adopted in 1964 and has never had a comprehensive update, according to city staff.

Kim Espinosa, city planning manager, said there have been five general plan updates in that time. Cities commonly make updates to zoning codes at the same time as the general plan.

“We just haven’t had the opportunity to do that,” she said recently, “and, quite frankly, the resources.”

Espinosa said the “pages and pages of text” in the older version can leave developers’ heads spinning. The updated version is meant to be friendlier to the eyes, with color, photos and tables.

The draft for public review can be found at City Hall or at the city’s website.

The Merced City Council received its copies in September and is expected to begin to publicly review the document this month. It could go before the council on Monday, though the agenda for that meeting has not been finalized.

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Merced’s zoning code to get first update in 50 years."