About Neighborhood Preservation Areas
Sacramento County Zoning Code
About Neighborhood Preservation Areas
Section titled “Sacramento County Zoning Code About Neighborhood Preservation Areas”Purpose
Section titled “Purpose”Neighborhood Preservation Area Ordinances (NPAs) are adopted as a part of the Zoning Code to protect and preserve the character of established neighborhoods when the countywide regulations are inadequate for that purpose. NPAs are only permitted to regulate development standards and “shall not limit or add to the uses permitted in the underlying zoning district(s), nor shall such ordinance permit a greater density of land use than permitted in the underlying zoning district(s).” This limited regulatory ability is what differentiates NPAs from Special Planning Areas, which can introduce the full gamut of new regulations (use, development, and procedures).
The requirements for establishing a Neighborhood Preservation Area are adopted in SZC Section 4.6.
Citation
Section titled “Citation”SPAs are adopted as part of Title V of the Zoning Code, commencing with Chapter 30.
History
Section titled “History”NPAs were introduced into the Zoning Code as a part of the Fifth Edition of the Zoning Code, adopted in 1977. As of March 2026, there are 21 adopted Neighborhood Preservation Area Ordinances.
The first adopted Neighborhood Preservation Area was the Beyerford Heights Neighborhood Preservation Area.