Downey, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

04, lists 'hospitals/veterinary' as a use row spanning the six commercial zone columns: C-P, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-M, and H-M. The row reads Not Permitted in C-P and C-1, Conditional Use Permit required in C-2 and C-3, Permitted outright in C-M, and Conditional Use Permit required again in H-M. 04(b) any use marked with a Conditional Use Permit designation must go through the Section 9824 review process, which requires Planning Commission consideration of location, operating characteristics, noise, odor, and compatibility with surrounding uses before approval.

That means a veterinary hospital proposed for the C-2 general commercial, C-3 intense commercial, or H-M hospital-biomedical zone cannot open on the strength of a business license alone; it needs a discretionary Conditional Use Permit approved by the Commission first. 02(f) for a flexible mix of commercial, wholesale, and light manufacturing uses, can a veterinary hospital operate as a permitted use without that extra approval step. The C-P office/professional zone and the C-1 limited neighborhood shopping zone exclude veterinary hospitals altogether.