PREVIOUSLY:

Is it April already?

Indeed it is, my friend!

Oh, good! Time for sophomoric shenanigans!

Um, why’s that?

April Fool’s Day, buddy!

That was Saturday, bro. You missed it.

Nuts.

Yeah. But I’ve got something better for you.

Better than sophomoric shenanigans? Do tell!

Below you’ll find the fifth installment of Eureka’s 14-part series “Get to Know a Zone District,” which teaches folks all about what they can do where in city limits.

Oh hell yeah, pimp! Let’s do this!

From the City of Eureka:


The CC (Central Commercial) District in Eureka. | Image courtesy of, you guessed it, the City of Eureka.

Welcome to the fifth installment of our 14-part series “Get to Know a Zone District.”  In this series, a staff-member in the Planning Division answers questions about each Zoning District in the City. This month we will be exploring our downtown commercial district: CC

1.     What is CC? What does it stand for?

“CC” stands for “Central Commercial.” It really just means “downtown.” A lot of towns call this area the CBD, or “Central Business District.”

2.     CBD? (slow chuckle)

Yeah. We’re leaning away from calling it the CBD in the new code because some people might find it to be a comically unintended cannabis reference. We have no time for sophomoric shenanigans down here.

3.     Understood. So what are some things I can do there?

Oh there are some pretty good uses on offer, I’d say. Offices, restaurants, hotels, men’s furnishing stores, etc.

4.     Men’s furnishing stores?

Yep. It means a men’s clothing store. In the 1960s men were “furnished,” like houses. Women got their threads at “Women’s apparel accessory stores.”

5.     Fascinating. What can’t you do in the CC zone?

Well, some of the more intense uses like veterinarian’s offices, tire sales, and tool/cutlery sharpening. For those uses you would need to be in the Service Commercial (CS) or industrial zones.  

6.     Can I live there?

Absolutely! CC (Central Commercial) treats residential uses just like RM-1000 (Multi-Family Residential).

7.     Is a single-family home okay?

Yes, but you would see a much better return on investment (ROI) if you developed a multi-family residential project. Better yet, a mixed use project with commercial on the first floor and residential above would probably be the very best.

8.     Setbacks?

None. You’re welcome.

9.     Parking spaces required?

None for commercial uses (the entire zone is in the Parking Assessment District – score!), one space per unit for residential uses.

10.  Wow. What kind of floor area ratio (F.A.R.) are we talking about?

Literally the best you can get in town – 5.0.

11.  What does that mean again?

If have a 6,000 square foot lot you can build a 30,000 square foot building (6,000 x 5.0).

12.  That’s absolutely amazing. How tall could I make a building like that?

You could literally make your building 100 feet tall.  

13.  Is the County jail even that tall?

Dunno, maybe?

14.  I’m really not sure we need buildings that tall in Eureka.  

I’m really not sure, either.

15.  So are you guys figuring out how tall of buildings we should have? For the General Plan and Zoning Code update? 

That’s exactly what we’re doing. Keep an eye out over the next year for public meetings on the topic and you can share your thoughts with local decision makers.  

16.  Where can I get more information about this and other zoning stuff?

The Development Services Department (and Planning Division) is open Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm (closed from noon-1:00) at City Hall. Stop by or call 441-4160 to speak with a planner.