City of Downey

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Planning Division
11111 Brookshire Avenue
Downey, Ca 90241
(562) 904-7154

Online Comment Form

Updates

FAQ

Downey Municipal Code

ZONING CODE UPDATE

The City of Downey's zoning ordinance consists of the land use regulations that establish permitted uses and development standards (density, height, lot size, placement, building bulk, etc.) within the various zoning districts of the City. In March of 2007, the City of Downey embarked upon a comprehensive update of the zoning ordinance. This update is consistent with the goals and policies of the recently adopted General Plan (Vision 2025). It is anticipated that this comprehensive update will take approximately 12-18 months.

Updates
Please check back for updates on the zoning ordinance. If you would like to submit a comment, please use the online comment form.

Background

The City's zoning ordinance was originally adopted in 1962 with a comprehensive update being adopted in 1977. Since the 1977 comprehensive update, the zoning ordinance has been amended 85 times. Due to the age and number of amendments, the zoning ordinance has become outdated to current planning practices and trends. Furthermore, the zoning ordinance has become piecemealed over time and is not user-friendly. To review the City's zoning ordinance, visit Downey Municipal Code website and view Chapter 1 of Article IX.

Objective

The City of Downey has set the following five objectives for the new zoning code:

1. Organization - The zoning ordinance should be organized in a logical manner that facilitates the use and understanding of the zoning ordinance.
2. General Plan - The zoning ordinance should be consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan.
3. State and Federal Laws - The zoning ordinance should comply with all applicable State and Federal laws.
4. Planning Trends - The zoning ordinance should reflect current planning trends.
5. Comprehensible - The zoning ordinance should be clear, concise and minimize ambiguities. Additionally, the zoning ordinance should utilize charts, graphs, and illustrations to improve readability.