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

313-1 of the code. 313-2 (Mixed-Use Zoning District Development Standards), Note 8 sets a build-to standard rather than a flat front setback: on lots under 15 acres, at least 50 percent of the lot width must be occupied by primary building frontage or pedestrian features placed between zero and 30 feet from the front property line. On lots of 15 acres or more, that same 50 percent frontage requirement applies between zero and 80 feet from the front line. The code ties this directly to the city's design guidelines, stating the standard exists so new commercial and mixed-use buildings sit close to the street for a better relationship with pedestrians, rather than being set back behind parking.

Height in the Downtown Planning Area is handled separately. 313-2 lists 'No Maximum' for primary structure height in the CMU Downtown and OPMU Downtown columns, but Note 11 clarifies that this is not unlimited in practice: Federal Aviation Administration regulations cap structures downtown at somewhere between 150 and 350 feet depending on location, referencing the safety element of the General Plan for the exact limits by site, and any structure over 150 feet needs FAA approval before it can be built. These downtown-specific frontage and height rules are administered by the Rancho Cordova Community Development Department as part of site plan and design review for downtown projects; a project that does not meet the build-to frontage percentage or that exceeds the FAA-cleared height for its location is not eligible for zoning clearance and must be redesigned or seek relief through the applicable design review or variance process under Title 23.