Fresno, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Fresno Municipal Code § 15-1501 sets the purpose of the Downtown (DT) Districts, the DTN Downtown Neighborhood, DTG Downtown General, and DTC Downtown Core, as implementing the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan and the Fulton Corridor Specific Plan for pedestrian-oriented streetscapes, and assigns every downtown street an Activity Classification of A, B, or C that drives which ground-floor uses are required. Section 15-1505, Façade Design Development Standards, requires street-facing façades over 50 feet long to break up their mass with at least two articulation strategies, bans specific exterior materials outright, T1-11, rough-sawn wood, vertical siding, board and batten, metal siding, and concrete block are all prohibited except in the DTN zone, and requires clear glazing at storefronts to the maximum extent Title 24 allows.

Subsection E, Awning, Canopy, Marquee, Sun Shade, and Trellis, fixes the dimensions of every shading element in the district: 2 feet minimum and 10 feet maximum in depth, covering 25 to 75 percent of the building frontage, at least 8 feet of clearance from the ground, and no more than 2 feet of encroachment into the setback or right-of-way. Awnings must match the shape of the opening they shade, odd-shaped and bubble awnings are prohibited unless photographic evidence shows one was previously approved on the building, and internally illuminated awnings that glow are banned outright.

Section 15-1506, Right to Downtown Operations, separately puts owners, tenants, and buyers on notice that noise, activity, and inconvenience from a vibrant Downtown environment are a normal and accepted part of owning or using property in the district. Article 15 was added by Ordinance 2016-43 (effective December 9, 2016).