City of Covina Rezoning and General Plan Alignment Project
The City is embarking on a rezoning project to align the RD Multifamily zoning districts with the Medium Density Residential and High-Density Residential land use designations of the 2000 General Plan. This rezoning will not affect your current use of your property. The effect of the proposed rezoning is to make the property’s zoning consistent with the already applicable General Plan designation, as required by state law.
Alternate languages may be selected if utilizing Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge as your browser. To translate the page, right-click the mouse and select the “Translate to XXX” option. Once selected, you may select the language that you prefer. Those using “Microsoft Edge” require an additional step. You will need to select this icon in the search engine:
Se puede traducir esta página en español usando Google Chrome o Microsoft Edge. Para traducir, haz clic en el botón derecho del mouse y escoge “Translate to XXXX”. Para Microsoft Edge, también se necesita escoger este símbolo:
If you need assistance from a translator, please contact Nancy Fong, FAICP, project manager at nfong@covinaca.gov and phone at 626-384-5463.
The project will take part in two phases, based on the current zoning district. Phase 1 applies to properties with the RD 1500 and RD 1250 districts. Phase 2 applies to properties within the RD 2000 through RD 5000 districts.
Phase I Rezoning Timeline
Phase I| Rezoning Timeline
Community Engagement
Public participation is a vital and integral aspect of the planning process for rezoning properties. The City will host a combined community meeting and study session to inform the public about the proposed rezoning. Additionally, there will be the City & web posting, newspaper publishing of notices, and direct mail notices to legal property owners of affected properties prior to any Planning Commission or City Council hearings to consider the rezoning actions.
December 10, 2024, Planning Commission Study Session and Community Meeting. Come join us to learn more about the proposed Rezoning and General Plan Alignment Project. The Planning Commission study session and community meeting will be at the City Hall Council Chambers, 125 East College Street, Covina, California 91723, on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., or as soon as possible thereafter.
Contact
For questions or comments, please contact the project manager, Nancy Fong, FAICP, Community Development Consultant: Nfong@covinaca.gov | 626.384.5463
Frequently Asked Questions
The General Plan is a comprehensive, long-term plan for the development of the City. The general plan is at the top of the hierarchy of local land use regulations; zoning and other land use decisions must conform to the general plan. See Covina’s General Plan. https://covinaca.gov/city-departments/community-development/planning/resources/
Individual properties are given a land use designation in the land use element of the General Plan. These designations govern the allowed uses and intensity of development on a property. See Covina’s General Plan Land Use Designations. https://covinaca.gov/city-departments/community-development/planning/resources/
A zoning district sets out rules for what can and cannot be developed on a property. These rules apply to key types of land uses: residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses of land in the City. Zoning Districts also provide controls on the form and placement of buildings on individual parcels, such as height, setbacks, and parking requirements. See Covina’s Zoning Districts.
Government Code Section 65860 requires that all cities, including Covina, align zoning districts so that they are consistent with their respective land use designations. The City identified several Zoning Districts that are inconsistent with applicable General Plan land use designations. These Zoning Districts include RD-1250, RD-1500, RD-2000, RD-2500, RD-2900, RD-2950, RD-3000, RD-3400, RD-3500, RD-3900, RD-4000, and RD-5000.
No, nothing in this rezoning process includes or is driven by any new development proposal. The rezoning is required by state law so the zoning is consistent with the General Plan land use designation.
No, the rezoning brings the zoning designation for a property to match the applicable General Plan designation. Because the General Plan prevails over Zoning, the General Plan designations already govern the allowed use and intensity of any site. This rezoning is an administrative clean-up triggered by the requirement that zoning ordinances inconsistent with the General Plan must be amended to be made consistent with the general plan.
Your property will remain subject to the same General Plan land sue designation. Click the link, https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Covina/, to see Covina Municipal Code Title 17, Chapter 17.28 for the RD zoning regulations, and the allowed uses in the RD zoning districts.
This rezoning of your property brings several benefits. It helps to clarify what you can do with your property. Further, aligning zoning districts and land use designations reduces confusion. Property owners have a clearer understanding of how their property can be used for future projects, which will save them time and costs when developing their property.
A legal non-conforming use is a lawful use of land or structure which ceases to conform to the provisions of the applicable regulations. A legal non-conforming use may continue indefinitely. However, if such use is discontinued or abandoned for six months or more, it must conform to the provisions of the zoning district.
