Pursuant to Div. 5D.6. (General Commercial Uses), general commercial uses are defined as uses that involve business activity serving the general public, including retail, professional and personal services, hospitality, and entertainment.

The General Plan is the City’s comprehensive framework that sets forth policies, goals, and objectives to guide the physical development of the City, while outlining the vision and priorities of the City. It consists of 11 citywide elements in addition to a Land Use Element, composed of 34 Community Plans. The General Plan serves as the legal basis for all land use policy decisions. Preparation and maintenance of the General Plan is mandated by the State, pursuant to California Government Code, Title 7. (Planning and Land Use), Sec. 65300.

General Plan Land Use Designations are designations established in Appendix A to the Framework Element, which broadly identifies intensities, densities, heights, and general uses allowed where the designations are mapped on the General Plan Land Use Map, and implemented through the corresponding zoning districts from the Zoning Code, as shown in correspondence tables in Appendix A or as otherwise provided in the community plan.

A gore-shaped lot is defined as an irregularly shaped lot that includes an angle of 65 degrees or less between intersecting lot lines.

Grade is defined as the elevation or contour of the ground surface of a lot.

See grade plane elevation.

Pursuant to Sec. 14.2.9. (Grade Plane Elevation), grade plane elevation is defined as a reference plane, representing the average elevation of the existing ground level adjoining a building and its exterior walls, from which the height of a building or structure shall be measured.

Grading is defined as any cut or fill, combination of cut and fill, or recompaction of soil, rock, or other earth materials.

For the purposes of Article 15. (Fees), grocery store is defined as a project that is for a retail use of which greater than 1/2 of the floor area is devoted to the sale of food items intended for consumption or use off the premises, excluding alcoholic beverages.

Pursuant to Sec. 14.2.10.C. (Ground Floor), ground floor is defined as the finished floor elevation of the ground story.

Pursuant to Sec. 3C.6.2. (Ground Floor Elevation), ground floor elevation is defined as the finished floor height associated with the story of a building having its finished floor elevation nearest to the finished grade.

Pursuant to Sec. 14.2.10.A. (Ground Story), ground story is defined as the lowest story of a building meeting the criteria of either Continuous Ground Story (Typical) or Ground Story Modules pursuant to Sec. 14.2.10. (Story), depending on site and building conditions.

Pursuant to Sec. 14.2.10.B. (Ground Story Facade), ground story facade is defined as the facade of the ground story for the full height of the ground story.

Pursuant to Sec. 3C.6.1. (Ground Story Height), ground story height is defined as the floor-to-floor height of the story of a building having its finished floor elevation nearest to the finished grade.

Pursuant to Sec. 3C.4.2.E.3. (Ground Story Inactive Wall Treatment Alternatives), ground story inactive wall treatment alternatives are permanent design improvements located between segments of ground story active wall and the public realm, designed to improve visual interest and the pedestrian experience.

Ground story windows are defined as any windows on the ground story facade.

Ground surface is defined as any hardscape or softscape surface which is at-grade and is exterior to any building.

Ground-mounted equipment is defined as any mechanical equipment or utility equipment that is fixed to the ground at or below grade in order to serve a building or facility on the same site. See Sec. 4C.12.2. (Ground-Mounted Equipment) for applicable development standards.