Union City, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- Civic Center Design Control District
- Applies
- Near the Civic Center complex
- Sign height cap
- 15 feet maximum
- Parking screening
- 5-foot wall, fence, or hedge
Summary
Union City's code has no ordinance branded 'downtown design guide'; instead its Civic Center Design Control District (CCDCD) mandates high-quality architecture, site planning, and landscaping review for development near the Civic Center core, in Alameda County, California.
The purpose of the Civic Center design control district (CCDCD) shall be the protection of the public investment through the assurance of high quality urban design in the neighborhood immediately surrounding the Civic Center complex. The Civic Center buildings and grounds shall represent standards of architecture, site planning and landscaping which will provide the basis for evaluation of new construction, remodeling, rehabilitation and other improvements, public and private, in the area, as defined in Sections 18.78.020 and 18.78.030. The intent of this chapter is to ensure design quality which is compatible with the Civic Center. (Ord. 55.142-75 § 3, 1975; Ord. 670-06 § 3, 2006)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4940544; v16 updated 2026-06-23).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 18.78's Civic Center Design Control District (CCDCD), the closest thing Union City's zoning code has to a downtown design overlay, requires new construction, remodeling, and site improvements near the Civic Center to meet added architectural and landscaping standards on top of the underlying zoning district's rules. Municipal Code § 18.78.010 states the purpose is protecting the public investment through high-quality urban design compatible with the Civic Center buildings and grounds. The chapter also sets a 15-foot cap on signs, requires parking screened by a 5-foot wall, fence, or hedge, and mandates landscaping installed within 90 days of construction completion.
Violations & Fines
Building or remodeling within the CCDCD without meeting its added design, screening, and landscaping standards can result in denial of site plan approval or a stop-work order from the Community Development Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Union City have a downtown design review district?
What extra design rules apply inside the CCDCD?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union City
California rules heatmap·Compare Union City to another location·View the California zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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