Deviation from

Santa Clara City Code ch. 18.26, Downtown Form-Based Code § 1.7

in effect

Standards In some instances, it may be practical to deviate slightly from the Standards of this Code while still meeting the vision of the Downtown Precise Plan. In such a case, the Planning Commission shall have the authority to grant deviations from the development standards of this chapter in accordance with the provisions of SCCC § 18.108 and in accordance with the maximum deviations and associated required findings in Table 1-1. For any standards not listed in Table 1-1, no deviation is permitted. In all cases, no deviation shall be granted if it hinders a project's ability to contribute to the vision for Downtown Santa Clara as detailed in the Downtown Precise Plan and/or hinders its ability to achieve the intent of the standard in question. Special consideration for deviations shall be given to the cultural/civic anchors described in the Precise Plan, such as the Food Hall / Market Structure on Arts Commons. New cultural/ civic structures play a pivotal role—as does the existing historic Post Office building—in establishing Downtown as a destination with unique physical markers. Such buildings warrant special architectural gestures, executed to a high artistic standard. TABLE 1-1 | DEVIATIONS FROM STANDARDS | § | Standard | Max. Deviation from Numeric Standard | Required Finding(s) | |---|---|---|---| 4 | The Downtown Zone and Character Overlays

	Dimensions in Figure 4-2	10%	• Any dimensional deviation is warranted to accommodate a building's bay and Massing Increment rhythm • Any dimensional deviation does not detract from a ground floor's ability to provide a Shopfront where required.
5	Building Placement
	Standards in Table 5-1	0%	• The building(s) help(s) define and provide appropriate enclosure to the public realm. • The design is harmonious with the existing built context, • The portion of the Build-To Range which is not built out is a meaningfully- designed, useful and beautiful space rather than unsightly leftover space. • Rear setbacks with alleys provide adequate space for any required trash, fire, or utilities access. • Where fire access is required, separation meets fire code and the discretion of local fire official. • Where exceptions to standards are necessary to enable the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, provided that the ground floor frontage is calibrated, to the extent practical, according to the standards and guidelines of Section 9. In exceptional adaptive reuse cases, the Planning Commission may allow a deviation greater than those listed in this table.
	Standards in Table 5-2	10%
	All other numeric standards in Section 5	10%
6	Building Height
	All numeric standards in Table 6-1, Figure 6-1, and Figure 6-2	0%	• Not applicable: no deviation allowed.
	All numeric standards in Table 6-2 and Section 6.3.C through 6.3.J	20%	• Any deviation in dimensions is mitigated through excellence in design which clearly meets the intent for the Plan Area as described in the Precise Plan. • Floor-to-ceiling height is not less than 8 feet.
7	Building Massing
	All numeric standards in Section 7	20%	• High quality architectural design and materials used create enough visual interest to compensate for any dimensional deviations.
8	Facade Design
	All numeric standards in Section 8	20%	• Exceptional architectural style and quality of materials create visual interest that compensates for a lower amount of windows, doors, or entrance frequency. • The facade is organized into a coherent rhythm of bays and the intent of an active & interesting ground floor environment is still met.

§	Standard	Max. Deviation from Numeric Standard	Required Finding(s)
9	Private Frontages
	All numeric standards in Section 9	20%	• Any deviation in dimensions is mitigated through excellence in design and enables the frontage to accomplish the intent of private frontages • Any deviation doesn't hinder a frontage's ability to serve its role according to its frontage type
10	Architectural Projections
	All numeric standards in Section 10	20%	• Any deviation in dimensions is mitigated through excellence in design. • Any deviation does not restrict the projection's ability to serve its purpose (i.e. a balcony shall remain usable rather than simply decorative).
11	Signage Design
	All numeric standards in Section 11	20%	• The sign is not auto-oriented in nature. • The sign is appropriately scaled to the size of the building & business. • The sign enhances the aesthetic quality of the public realm.
13	Site Standards & Guidelines
	All numeric standards in Section 12	20%	• The high quality of the architectural/landscape design and the materials used create enough visual interest to compensate for any dimensional deviations. • Privacy requirements are adequately balanced with visual safety needs. • Any additional wall height is warranted to provide appropriate privacy to the space it is enclosing, due to a unique site condition (i.e. space is highly exposed or adjacent an undesirable site condition outside of developer's control). • Decreased wall height is warranted if a landscaping feature provides the desired privacy. • The enclosed space provides adequate visibility to the public realm ("eyes on street"). • Architectural style is consistent with the design of the building and/or the public space it is enclosing; strong landscaping is provided between wall and sidewalk.

Source: City of Santa Clara Zoning Code (santaclaraca.gov PDF)URL: https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/zoningFetched: 10/24/2026