Adoption of an Open Space Zoning Ordinance

The City of Ukiah is adopting an Open Space (O-S) Zoning District Ordinance to implement the conservation objectives outlined in the Ukiah 2040 General Plan, ensuring that lands designated as Public, Recreational, Open Space, and Agriculture remain largely undeveloped due to ecological sensitivity, environmental constraints such as flood risk, unstable soils, fire hazards, or limited access. The ordinance establishes a regulatory framework that permits only low-intensity, non-residential uses like habitat restoration, public trails, and native plant propagation, while prohibiting incompatible development. This action fulfills state legal requirements under Government Code Sections 65302 and 65560–65570 to enforce open space and conservation elements of the General Plan without authorizing any specific development projects. The ordinance applies city-wide to identified conservation areas and is aligned with specific General Plan policies ENV-1, ENV-6.7, and LU-6.3, as well as the Western Hills Watershed Protection Area Management Plan. The adoption of the ordinance was reviewed and approved under CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, which enables a streamlined environmental review process relying on the previously certified General Plan Environmental Impact Report (SCH# 2022050556). Approval was contingent on three binary findings: consistency with the General Plan’s land use density and intensity standards, absence of new or unanalyzed environmental impacts, and lack of substantial new information requiring re-evaluation. As a legislative action rather than a procurement, there is no contract value, no competitive bidding, no contractor involvement, and no traditional contract clauses or financial terms such as payment offices, invoicing systems, or accounting codes. The Planning Manager of the City of Ukiah’s Community Development Department serves as the sole point of contact for administrative matters, and the ordinance became effective on November 19, 2025, with enforcement and compliance extending through the General Plan’s 2040 horizon. No packaging, delivery, inspection, or performance metrics apply, as this is a land use regulation adopted under state environmental law, not a procurement contract.