Travis AFB Sustainability Study Report Final Sustainability Study Report | Page 41
Zoning Ordinances / Regulations Building Codes
The purpose of the zoning ordinance is to serve the general welfare, safety,
and health of the city and its residents and to recognize specific, sustainable,
and compatible uses for areas within its jurisdiction. In order to be effective
in accomplishing the jurisdiction’s goals and visions, a zoning ordinance /
regulation should coincide with the adopted general plan. Zoning
ordinances / regulations are considered semi‐permanent planning tools
because they can be amended and lands can change their zoning
designation if they go through the proper process. Zoning is not required by
California law. Building codes are intended to regulate building construction, materials,
alteration and occupancy to ensure health, safety, and welfare. Building
codes can regulate building construction such that it is compatible with
military operations, including sound attenuation for residences within
applicable noise zones. Building codes, similar to other regulatory tools, are
considered semi‐permanent.
All of the Study Area jurisdictions refer to the Travis AFB LUCP and the
Solano County ALUC in their zoning ordinances. Any land uses within an
airport area of influence or area of concern are to conform to the applicable
compatibility policies and criteria set forth in the Travis AFB LUCP.
Annexation
The location and boundary of each city and special district within
Solano County can influence a range of land use, infrastructure and resource
decisions that can have an impact on long‐term compatibility with
Travis AFB. Relative to land use planning and regulation, Solano County and
the cities within the county have this primary responsibility. The cities
within their incorporated boundaries and the county in the unincorporated
areas.
Subdivision Regulations
Subdivision regulations outline requirements to implement functional
streets, and to provide the community with sufficient lot sizes and open
space, while conforming with the general plan to develop land in an orderly
manner. Over time jurisdictional boundaries can change through the process of
annexation. For a city, annexation is the means by which the corporate
boundaries of the city are expanded. Once an area is annexed, it comes
under the land use authority of that city.
While subdivision regulations typically define the standards, procedures, and
other requirements for land division, they can also help to prevent or limit
future encroachment into an installation or adjacent operational areas by
specifying allowable types of infrastructure improvements associated with a
subdivision, such as street lights. Subdivision regulations can be used as a
foundation to ensure mission sustainability, particularly with dark sky
provisions and development density. In the TSS Study Area, the annexation process is regulated by the
Solano Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). The Solano LAFCO is
composed of elected officials from Solano County and cities within the
county as well as a member of the public. Within the county, the
Solano LAFCO is charged with the review, approval (with or without
amendment) or denial of proposals for boundary changes for cities or
special districts.
Travis AFB Sustainability Study Report
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