"C" Definitions
Santa Clara City Code § 18.160.030
in effectCall Center. An office equipped to handle a large volume of calls especially for taking orders or servicing customers.
California Register of Historical Resources. The authoritative guide in California to be used by State and local agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify the State’s historical resources and to indicate what properties are to be protected, to the extent prudent and feasible, from substantial adverse change. (Public Resources Code Section 5024.1(a))
Caretaker Housing. A residence that is accessory to a nonresidential primary use and that is used for security, 24-hour care or supervision, or monitoring facilities, equipment or other conditions on the site.
Carport. A permanent roofed structure not completely enclosed to be used for vehicle parking.
Car Wash and Detailing Facility. Permanent, self-service and/or attended motor vehicle washing establishment, including fully mechanized facilities. May include detailing services and the limited sale of retail merchandise customarily used by the motorists.
Cemetery and Mausoleum. An area set aside for or containing the long-term confinement of graves, tombs, or funeral urns.
Character-defining feature. Architectural features of a building, structure, or object that help convey the significance of the HRI property and which were present during the period of significance.
Check-Cashing Shop. A building or portion thereof where checks or money orders are cashed or money orders or wires are issued and these services are a significant part of the business (over twenty-five percent (25%) of the gross dollar volume of business). This does not include banks, savings and loan institutions, credit unions, or other banking organizations regulated by State or Federal law.
Child Day Care Facility. Establishment that provides non-medical care and supervision of minor children for periods of less than 24 hours. These facilities include the following, all of which are required to be licensed by the State Department of Social Services:
Child day care home. A child day care facility located in a residence where an occupant of the residence provides care and supervision for up to 14 children in compliance with Health and Safety Code Sections 1597.44 and 1597.465. Children under the age of 10 years who reside in the home count as children served by the day care facility. See Section 18.60.070 (Article 4) for additional standards.
Child day care center. A child day care facility not operated as a small or large family day care home. Includes infant centers, preschools, and extended child day care facilities. These may be operated in conjunction with a business, school, or religious facility.
Commercial Recreational Facility, Indoor. Facility for participant sports and similar types of recreation, including indoor sports complexes, bingo parlors, billiard and pool halls, dance halls, clubs, ballrooms, bowling alleys, laser tag, indoor waterpark and/or aquatic park, and ice skating and roller rinks. This use may also include ancillary commercial facilities customarily associated with the above indoor commercial recreation uses, including but not limited to bars and restaurants, fast-food restaurants, and video game arcades.
Commercial Recreational Facility, Outdoor. Facility for various outdoor participant sports and similar types of recreation, including amusement, theme and kiddie parks; drive-in theaters; golf driving ranges independent from golf courses; miniature golf courses (golf courses are included under the definition of Parks and Playgrounds); outdoor waterparks and/or aquatic parks; skateboard parks and water slides; go-cart and miniature auto race tracks; recreation equipment rental (e.g., ATV’s and other non-highway motor vehicles, roller skates); tennis courts, swim and tennis clubs. May also include ancillary commercial facilities customarily associated with the above outdoor commercial recreational uses, including but not limited to bars and restaurants, fast-food restaurants, video game arcades, etc.
Commercial Vehicle. A vehicle with commercial license plates, which is equipped with dual rear wheels and is not designed and used for recreational housing purposes.
Common Interest Development. “Common interest development” means a community apartment project, condominium project or a stock cooperative as defined by Section 4100 of the Civil Code, as may be amended.
Common Living Area. The area of a dwelling available to all residents of a unit, including the living room, dining room and kitchen, but exclusive of bathrooms and hallways.
Communication Equipment, Electrical Distribution, Transmission Station. Facility supporting electric and telecommunication services.
Community Care Facility. Any facility, place, or structure which is maintained and operated to provide, day treatment, adult day care, or foster family agency services for children, adults, or children and adults, including, but not limited to the physically handicapped, mentally impaired, incompetent persons, and abused or neglected children.
Community Garden. Site used for growing plants for food, herbs, or flowers, which is shared and maintained by City residents.
Community Center. Structure used for recreational, social, educational, or cultural activities, usually owned and operated by a public or nonprofit group or agency.
“Community ownership” means: (i) a joint ownership of land and/or improvements combined with a separate ownership or exclusive right of occupancy of a unit or (ii) an investment apartment complex, which is defined as having separate ownership of at least two contiguous dwelling units per each ownership with all dwelling units to be rental units. The characteristics of the various forms of community ownership are as follows:
(A) “Community apartment” is an interest in real property in which an undivided interest in the land is coupled with the right of exclusive occupancy of any apartment located thereon.
(B) “Condominium” is an interest in real property consisting of an undivided interest in common in a portion of a parcel of real property together with a separate interest in space in a residential, industrial, or commercial building on such real property, such as an apartment, office, or store. A condominium may include, in addition, a separate interest in other portions of such real property. Such estate may, with respect to the duration of its enjoyment, be (i) an estate of inheritance or perpetual estate, (ii) an estate for life, or (iii) an estate for years, such as a leasehold or subleasehold.
(C) “Investment apartments” is an interest in real property wherein an apartment complex has multiple ownership of contiguous rental dwelling units of at least two contiguous units per each ownership, with all dwelling units in the project to remain rental units. This separate ownership of multiple rental dwelling units is combined with common ownership by the associated unit owners of the land and buildings where such units are located.
(D) “Planned development” is an interest in real property, excluding condominiums, community apartments, and stock cooperatives, having either or both of the following features:
(i) Any contiguous lots, parcels, or areas (hereinafter collectively referred to as “common area[s]”) are owned in common by the owners of the separately owned lots, parcels, or areas. Said common area(s) may consist of areas or facilities; the beneficial use and enjoyment of said common area(s) characteristically are reserved to some or all of the owners of separately owned lots, parcels, or areas.
(ii) Any power exists (A) to enforce any obligation in connection with membership in an owners’ association or (B) to enforce any obligation pertaining to the beneficial use and enjoyment of any portion of, or any interest in, either the separately or commonly owned lots, parcels, or areas by means of a levy or assessment, which may become a lien upon the separately owned lots, parcels, or areas of defaulting owners or members. Said lien may be foreclosed in any manner provided by law for the foreclosure of mortgages or deeds of trust, with or without a power of sale.
(E) “Stock cooperative” is a corporation that is formed or availed of primarily for the purpose of holding title to improved real property, either in fee simple or for a term of years, if all or substantially all of the shareholders of such corporation receive a right of exclusive occupancy in a portion of the real property, title to which is held by the corporation, which right of occupancy is transferable only concurrently with the transfer of the share or shares of stock in the corporation held by the person having such right of occupancy.
Community Ownership Project.
(A) “Community apartment project” means a project containing two or more apartment units in a community apartment, as community apartment is defined hereinabove, and shall include a conversion to such a project.
(B) “Condominium project” means a project containing two or more condominium units, as condominium is defined hereinabove, and shall include a conversion to such a project.
(C) “Investment apartment project” means a project containing at least seventy-five (75) rental units that has been subdivided into multiple blocks of unit ownership of at least two contiguous rental units per ownership block, as investment apartment is defined hereinabove, and shall include a conversion to such a project.
(D) “Planned development project” means a project containing two or more separately owned lot, parcel, or area units in a planned development, as planned development is defined hereinabove, and shall include a conversion to such a project.
(E) “Stock cooperative project” means a project containing two or more units of improved real property held by a stock cooperative, as stock cooperative is defined hereinabove, and shall include a conversion to such a project.
Condominium. An interest in real estate property consisting of an undivided interest in common in a portion of a parcel of real property together with sperate interest in space in a residential, industrial, or commercial structure on real property such as an apartment, office, or store.
Conference Center. See “Places of Assembly.”
Congregate Care. See “Assisted Living Facilities.”
Conversion. A change in the type of ownership of a parcel or parcels of land, together with the existing attached structures, to that defined for the appropriate type of community ownership project, as defined herein, regardless of the present or prior use of such lands and structures and regardless of whether improvements have been made or are to be made to such structures.
Crematory. Facility where the bodies of deceased people are cremated.
Cul-de-sac. A street closed at one end with a circular turnaround.
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