A. The several types of office zones included in this chapter are designed to achieve the following:
1. Provide appropriate areas for various types of offices to be concentrated for the convenience of the public, and to be located and grouped on sites that are in logical proximity to the respective geographical areas and respective categories of patrons that they serve in a manner consistent with the general plan;
2. Maintain the central downtown business district (Conyer Street to Tipton and Murray Street to Mineral King Avenue including the Court-Locust corridor to the Lincoln Oval area) as Visalia's traditional, medical, professional, retail, government and cultural center;
3. Protect office areas from excessive noise, illumination, unsightliness, odor, smoke, and other objectionable influences;
4. Ensure compatibility with adjacent land uses.
B. The purpose of the individual office land use zones are as follows:
1. Professional/Administrative Office Zone—(O-PA). The purpose and intent of the professional/administrative office zone district is to provide areas for professional and administrative offices where they can be effectively integrated into surrounding areas.
2. Office Conversion Zone—(OC). The purpose and intent of the office conversion zone district is to promote the conversion, rather than the demolition, of existing residential structures where feasible, in designated areas for low-intensity administrative and professional offices. Office uses that are typically high generators of vehicle trips or parking need generators are not provided in this district. This zone will create opportunities for the long-term preservation of historic structures and the residential character of non-historic neighborhoods through the office conversion process. The development criteria will reduce the potential for land use conflicts between the office conversion sites and their adjacent residential neighborhoods. These provisions will serve to maintain the streetscape through architectural compatibility and the placement of on-site parking at the rear of the sites. This will also serve to maintain the historic and aesthetic character of the core area. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: prior code § 7372)