Article 40.
AS Agricultural Services District.
§ 26-40-005 Purpose.
§ 26-40-010 Permitted uses.
§ 26-40-020 Uses permitted
with a use permit.
§ 26-40-030
Permitted building intensity and development criteria.
Purpose: this district is intended to implement Section 2.3.2 of the general plan by limiting the uses in the limited commercial land use category to those necessary to support local agricultural production. (Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-40-010. Permitted uses.
Permitted uses include the following:
(a) One (1) dwelling unit on a permanent foundation per lot;
(b) Home occupations subject to the requirements of Section 26-88-121 and approval of a zoning permit;
(c) Small residential community care facility;
(d) Agricultural support services with a maximum of one employee and occupying no more than one-half acre of land;
(e) The growing and harvesting of shrubs, plants, flowers, trees, vines, fruits, vegetables, hay, grain and similar food and fiber crops, including wholesale nurseries. Except as noted below, agricultural cultivation shall not be permitted in the following areas:
(1) Within one hundred feet (100') from the top of the bank of the Russian River Riparian Corridor,
(2) Within fifty feet (50') from the top of the bank of designated flatland riparian corridors,
(3) Within twenty-five feet (25') from the top of the bank of the designated upland riparian corridors.
Agricultural cultivation may be allowed as set out in subsections (e)(1) through (3) of this section upon approval of a management plan which includes appropriate mitigation for potential erosion, bank stabilization and biotic impact. This plan may be approved by the planning director or by use permit pursuant to Section 26-40-020(l);
(f) Incidental cleaning, grading, packing, polishing, sizing and similar preparation of crops which are grown on the site, but not including agricultural processing;
(g) Tasting rooms and other sales and promotion, and incidental storage, of agricultural products grown or processed in the local area and subject to the provisions of Article 82;
(h) Accessory buildings and uses incidental and appurtenant to any permitted use;
(i) Occasional cultural events; provided, that a written notice stating “The Sonoma County Planning Department will issue a zoning permit for a cultural event (state nature and duration) on this property if a written appeal is not received within ten (10) days from the date of this notice.” is posted on the property at least ten (10) days prior to issuance of a zoning permit, and no appeal pursuant to Section 26-92-040 has been received from any interested person, and provided that approval is secured from the following departments: sheriff, public health, fire services, building inspection and public works. In the event of an appeal, a hearing on the project shall be held pursuant to Section 26-92-040;
(j) Small family day care;
(k) Large family day care, provided that the applicant shall meet all performance standards listed Section 26-92-080;
(n) Beekeeping;
(o) Attached commercial telecommunication facilities subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(p) Minor and intermediate freestanding commercial telecommunication facilities eighty feet (80') or less, subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(q) Noncommercial telecommunication facilities eighty feet (80') or less in height subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(r) Small wind energy systems not located within a county-designated urban service area or within two thousand five hundred feet (2,500') of a county-designated urban service area, subject to zoning permit approval and the standards in Section 26-88-135;
(s) Other nonresidential uses which in the opinion of the planning director are of a similar and compatible nature to those uses described in this section. (Ord. No. 5569 § 7, 2005; Ord. No. 5435 § 2(dd), 2003; Ord. No. 5342 § 3, 2002; Ord. No. 4973 § 9(a), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-40-020. Uses permitted with a use permit.
Uses permitted with a use permit include the following:
(a) Livestock feed yards, animal sales yards;
(b) Commercial mushroom farming;
(c) Commercial kennels;
(d) Retail nurseries which involve products not grown on the site;
(e) Agricultural support services with more than one employee or occupying more than one-half acre of land;
(f) Slaughterhouses, animal processing plants, rendering plants, fertilizer plants or yards which serve agricultural production in the local area;
(g) Processing, storage, bottling, canning or similar activities involving agricultural products of a type grown, produced, or processed in the local area;
(h) Production or marketing services related to agricultural production in the local area;
(i) Farm equipment sales and repair;
(j) Minor public service uses or facilities (transmission and distribution lines and telecommunication facilities excepted), including but not limited to reservoirs, storage tanks, pumping stations, telephone exchanges, small power stations, transformer stations, fire and police stations and training centers, service yards and related parking lots which, at a minimum, meet the criteria of general plan Policy PF-2(s) and which are not otherwise exempt by state law;
(k) Exploration and development of low temperature geothermal resources for other than power development purposes provided that at a minimum it is compatible with surrounding land uses;
(l) Agricultural cultivation in the following areas for which a management plan has not been approved pursuant to Section 26-40-010(e):
(1) Within one hundred feet (100') of the top of the bank of the Russian River Riparian Corridor,
(2) Within fifty feet (50') of the top of the bank of designated flatland riparian corridors,
(3) Within twenty-five feet (25') of the top of the bank of designated upland riparian corridors;
(m) Granges and similar community service facilities which do not adversely impact agriculture in the area;
(n) One (1) caretaker unit per lot in rural areas as defined in the general plan;
(o) Large residential community care facility;
(p) Day care center;
(q) Amplified live music;
(r) Intermediate and major freestanding commercial telecommunication facilities greater than eighty feet (80') in height, subject at a minimum to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(s) Noncommercial telecommunication facilities greater than eighty feet (80') in height subject at a minimum to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(t) Small wind energy systems located within a county-designated urban service area or within two thousand five hundred feet (2,500') of a county-designated urban service area, subject to the standards in Section 26-88-135;
(u) Live/work uses in conjunction with a legally established single family residential unit subject to the requirements of Section 26-88-122. Live/work uses shall not be permitted in a mixed use development, SRO unit, or caretaker unit.
(v) Other nonresidential uses which in the opinion of the planning director are of a similar and compatible nature to those uses described in this section. (Ord. No. 5569 § 7, 2005; Ord. No. 5435 § 2(ee), 2003; Ord. No. 4973 § 9(b), (c), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-40-030. Permitted building intensity and development criteria.
The use of land and structures is subject to the building intensity and development criteria of Section 26-36-030, the limited commercial (LC) district. (Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)