The Stockton City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance to update the city’s development code, aligning local regulations with state housing laws and the city’s 2040 General Plan.
The measure, Ordinance 2025-06-03-1601, amends multiple sections of Title 16 of the Stockton Municipal Code, which guides land use and development across the city.
The updates, presented by Stephanie Ocasio, director of community development and Martha Miller from Miller Planning Associates, consultants for Stockton Development Code Update include revisions to zoning districts, development standards and administrative procedures.
The ordinance was adopted on a 6-0 vote. Councilmember Brando Villapudua was absent.
According to city documents, the changes are intended to ensure that the city’s regulations comply with recent state housing mandates and support the city’s long-term vision for growth. The 2040 General Plan, adopted in 2018, prioritizes infill development, expanded housing options and neighborhood revitalization.
“While housing-related amendments are the focus, the 2025 Development Code update includes technical updates and revisions throughout the code for consistency with the General Plan, improved organization and usability, and other amendments to simplify and standardize language, remove redundancies, clarify applicability, and remove obsolete provisions,” the city’s official summary explains.
The updated code includes several measures to support housing production and clarify design rules for new development. It expands density bonuses for affordable housing projects, allowing developers to build more units if they include a percentage of homes affordable to lower-income households. Reducing setback requirements—minimum distances between buildings and property lines—can also help create additional housing opportunities by increasing buildable area on a lot.
The changes include new objective design standards for multi-family and mixed-use housing, replacing more subjective review processes with clearly defined rules. Objective standards are increasingly required under state law to ensure consistency and transparency in local development reviews.
The ordinance also revises the city’s regulations for accessory dwelling units, or ADUs—small, self-contained homes that share a lot with a primary residence. A state law, Assembly Bill 1033, allows local governments to permit the sale of ADUs separately from the main home as condominiums, giving property owners more flexibility.
Stockton’s updated code reflects that change, although separate sale of ADUs in the city would still require local zoning and building code compliance.
Other changes include updated standards for infill development and new administrative procedures, such as waivers and requests for reasonable accommodation. Technical edits throughout the document reorganize sections and update language for consistency and clarity.
As part of the update, the council also established a new Commercial Heavy zoning district to replace the existing Commercial Industrial Overlay District. No properties are designated under the new zone. Future rezonings would require separate council action.
Updates on Waivers
The ordinance updates the city’s waiver rules, which let city officials adjust certain development standards when needed. It clarifies that the Planning Commission can approve waivers of up to 50% for some standards and expands the Community Development Director’s authority to grant smaller adjustments.
During public comments, Mary Elizabeth raised concerns that while the waiver rules mention restrictions on selling paraphernalia, but they do not mention sales of tobacco and alcohol.
“Leaving this waiver to allow without public notice or opportunity for neighbors to object it’s too much power in the city’s hands”, said Elizabeth.
In response, Mayor Christina Fugazi and Ocasio pointed out that the city already has restrictions in place for tobacco and alcohol sales, including a moratorium on new tobacco licenses.
Ocasio explained that waivers are not granted automatically. Instead, waivers require careful findings that show the changes are appropriate and supported by the city’s codes. They emphasized that these decisions are reviewed as part of the broader application process to ensure they meet city standards.
“This council has been very clear on its sentiments regarding nuisance uses and businesses,” Fugazi agreed.
The city determined that no further environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act because the amendments are consistent with the city’s previously certified 2040 General Plan Environmental Impact Report.
Councilmember Michael Blower inquired about the absence of updates for Division 4, which sets out the procedures for reviewing and issuing permits for land use and development in Stockton. Community Development staff explained that no changes to Division 4 were proposed because the current ordinance focuses on updating zoning districts, development standards, and land use regulations to align with state housing laws and the city’s 2040 General Plan. Staff said the permit processing requirements in Division 4 did not require updates at this time.
The Planning Commission recommended adoption of the ordinance after a public hearing on June 8. The commission’s unanimous vote followed public outreach and staff revisions.
The council’s action updates local development regulations to reflect state housing laws and the city’s General Plan. City documents describe the updates as intended to support new housing and maintain neighborhood compatibility.
The changes will take effect 30 days after adoption.