Title 13 — Planning, Zoning and Development
Costa Mesa Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · Costa Mesa
In this part
- § 13-1. Title.
- § 13-2. Purpose.
- § 13-3. Authority and general plan consistency.
- § 13-4. References to other laws.
- § 13-5. Purpose.
- § 13-6. Definitions.
- § 13-7. Purpose.
- § 13-8. City council.
- § 13-9. Redevelopment agency.
- § 13-10. Planning commission.
- § 13-11. Zoning administrator.
- § 13-12. Planning division.
- § 13-13. Purpose.
- § 13-14. Enforcement officer designated.
- § 13-15. Duties.
- § 13-16. Enforcement.
- § 13-17. Public nuisance defined; procedure.
- § 13-18. Remedies cumulative.
- § 13-19. Purpose.
- § 13-20. Zoning districts.
- § 13-21. Overlay districts.
- § 13-22. Zoning district boundaries.
- § 13-23. Division of official zoning map.
- § 13-24. Changes in boundaries.
- § 13-25. Uncertainty of boundaries.
- § 13-26. Limitation of land use.
- § 13-27. Purpose.
- § 13-28. Types.
- § 13-29. Planning application review process.
- § 13-30. Purpose.
- § 13-31. Purpose.
- § 13-32. Development standards.
- § 13-33. Accessory buildings and structures.
- § 13-34. Bluff-top development.
- § 13-35. Accessory dwelling units.
- § 13-36. Two-unit housing development.
- § 13-37. Large family day care homes.
- § 13-38. Additional property development standards for the multiple-family residential…
- § 13-39. Purpose.
- § 13-40. Planning application required.
- § 13-41. Residential common interest development standards and requirements.
- § 13-42. Residential common interest development conversions—Additional standards.
- Article 2.5 — Residential Small lot Subdivisions
- § 13-43. Purpose.
- § 13-44. Development standards.
- § 13-45. Additional property development standards for the commercial districts.
- § 13-46. Purpose.
- § 13-47. Permitted and conditionally permitted uses.
- § 13-48. General development standards.
- § 13-49. Development standards for establishments within two hundred feet of…
- § 13-50. Development standards for drive-through operations.
- § 13-51. Applicability.
- Article 4.5 — Development Standards for Churches and Other Places of Religious Assembly
- § 13-52. Purpose.
- § 13-53. Development standards.
- § 13-54. Additional property development standards for the industrial districts.
- Article 5.5 — Non-Residential Common Interest Developments
- § 13-55. Purpose.
- § 13-56. Master plan required.
- § 13-57. Site design concept.
- § 13-58. Development standards.
- § 13-59. Maximum density criteria.
- § 13-60. Required open space criteria for planned development residential.
- § 13-61. Perimeter open space criteria.
- § 13-62. Additional development standards.
- § 13-63. Phased planned developments.
- § 13-64. Purpose.
- § 13-65. Special district requirements.
- § 13-66. Development standards.
- § 13-67. Purpose.
- § 13-68. Definitions.
- § 13-69. Floor area ratio established.
- § 13-70. Purpose.
- § 13-71. Utility requirements.
- § 13-72. Off-site improvement requirements.
- § 13-73. Trash enclosures.
- § 13-74. Elevation and screening requirements.
- § 13-75. Fences and walls.
- § 13-76. Right-of-way dedications.
- § 13-77. Purpose.
- § 13-78. Definitions.
- § 13-79. Application.
- § 13-80. Uses permitted in the floodway areas.
- § 13-81. Uses permitted in the designated floodway fringe and special flood hazard…
- § 13-82. Procedures and development standards for floodway areas.
- § 13-83. Exceptions to designate flood hazard area.
- Article 11 — Mixed-Use Overlay District
- Article 12 — Residential Incentive Overlay District
- § 13-84. Purpose.
- § 13-85. Parking required.
- § 13-86. Parking required in mixed-use overlay zone.
- § 13-87. General development standards.
- § 13-88. Purpose.
- § 13-89. Parking required.
- § 13-90. Parking for uses not specified.
- § 13-91. General development standards.
- § 13-92. Purpose.
- § 13-93. General standards.
- § 13-94. Small car parking.
- § 13-95. Accessible parking for handicapped persons.
- § 13-96. Parking spaces permanently available for automobile parking.
- § 13-98. Declaration of land use restriction.
- § 13-99. Vehicle standing, loading and unloading.
- § 13-100. Transportation demand management requirements.
- § 13-101. Purpose.
- § 13-102. Definitions.
- § 13-103. General provisions and submittal requirements.
- § 13-104. Landscape plan objectives.
- § 13-105. Landscaping requirements.
- § 13-106. Required landscaping materials.
- § 13-107. Irrigation requirements.
- § 13-108. Landscape maintenance.
- § 13-109. Purpose and intent.
- § 13-110. Scope.
- § 13-111. Definitions.
- § 13-112. Prohibited signs.
- § 13-113. General requirements.
- § 13-114. Permits required.
- § 13-115. Signs regulations and design standards.
- § 13-116. Signs adjacent to residential zones.
- § 13-117. Maintenance of permanent signs.
- § 13-118. Street banners.
- § 13-119. Billboards.
- § 13-120. Planned signing programs.
- § 13-121. Determination of legal nonconformity.
- § 13-122. Loss of legal nonconforming status.
- § 13-123. Non-commercial portable signs.
- § 13-124. Application for permits.
- § 13-125. Fees.
- § 13-126. Signs relating to inoperative activities.
- § 13-127. Signs prohibited on public property or public rights-of-way removal;…
- § 13-128. Enforcement.
- § 13-129. Purpose and intent.
- § 13-130. Definitions.
- § 13-131. Exceptions to the article.
- § 13-132. Establishment of sexually-oriented business.
- § 13-133. Measurement of distance.
- § 13-134. Misdemeanor offenses.
- § 13-135. Violations/penalties.
- § 13-136. Public nuisance.
- § 13-137. Other regulations.
- § 13-139. Purpose.
- § 13-140. Applicability.
- § 13-141. Permit requirements.
- § 13-142. Development standards.
- § 13-143. Nonconforming antennas.
- § 13-144. Minor conditional use permit requirements.
- § 13-145. Compatibility of regulations.
- § 13-146. Purpose.
- § 13-147. Conditional use permit required; exception.
- § 13-148. Procedure.
- § 13-149. Conditions, discretionary.
- § 13-150. Conditions, mandatory.
- § 13-151. Application to existing businesses.
- § 13-152. Purpose.
- § 13-153. Qualified project.
- § 13-154. Application and review process.
- § 13-159. Purpose.
- § 13-160. Conditional use permit required.
- § 13-161. Development standards.
- § 13-162. Nonconforming business amortization.
- § 13-163. Purpose.
- § 13-164. Permits required.
- § 13-165. Application procedures.
- § 13-166. Permit fee.
- § 13-167. Term of permit.
- § 13-168. Evaluation standards.
- § 13-169. Revocation and appeal procedures.
- § 13-170. Purpose.
- § 13-171. Development standards.
- § 13-172. Purpose and intent.
- § 13-173. Definitions.
- § 13-174. Operational and development standards.
- § 13-175. Application to existing businesses.
- § 13-176. Purpose.
- § 13-177. Definitions.
- § 13-178. Applicability.
- § 13-179. Conditional use permit required.
- § 13-180. Application requirements.
- § 13-181. Environmental review.
- § 13-182. Procedures.
- § 13-183. Public notices.
- § 13-184. Findings.
- § 13-185. Appeals.
- § 13-186. Permit required.
- § 13-187. Temporary real estate and construction offices.
- § 13-188. Other uses.
- § 13-189. Transitional areas.
- § 13-193. Purpose.
- § 13-194. Definitions.
- § 13-195. Policy.
- § 13-196. Applicability.
- § 13-197. Facility standards.
- § 13-199. Implementation and monitoring.
- § 13-200. Enforcement and penalties.
- Article 13 — Water Quality
- Article 14 — Historic Preservation
- Article 15 — Reasonable Accommodations
- Article 16 — Liquor Stores, Convenience Stores, and Mini-Markets
- Article 17 — Orange County Fair and Event Center
- Article 18 — Emergency Shelters
- Article 19 — Smoking and Vaping Uses
- Article 20 — Marijuana and/or Medical Marijuana uses and Activities
- Article 21 — Location of Cannabis Distributing, Manufacturing, Research and…
- Article 22 — An Ordinance to give the People of Costa Mesa Control of Their Future
- Article 23 — Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs
- § 13-201. Purpose.
- § 13-202. Definitions.
- § 13-203. Maintenance and repair.
- § 13-204. Nonconforming provisions.
- § 13-205. Provisions for multi-family zones for rebuilding after voluntary destruction.
- § 13-206. Nonconforming fences and walls.
- § 13-207. Nonconforming lots.
- § 13-208. Purpose.
- § 13-209. General.
- § 13-210. Consistency.
- § 13-211. Planning commission duties.
- § 13-212. Requirements and setbacks for tentative maps.
- § 13-213. Preparation, filing.
- § 13-214. Information to accompany tentative map.
- § 13-215. Review period; action by planning commission.
- § 13-216. Duration of approval, extension, appeal and abandonment.
- § 13-217. Filing prerequisite to sale, lease, financing, issuance of building permits,…
- § 13-218. Purpose.
- § 13-219. General.
- § 13-220. Consistency.
- § 13-221. Application.
- § 13-222. Conditions precedent to approval.
- § 13-223. Expiration.
- § 13-224. Vesting rights.
- § 13-225. Applications inconsistent with established policies.
- § 13-226. Subsequent permits, licenses and other entitlements or use.
- § 13-227. Amendments.
- § 13-228. Purpose.
- § 13-229. Preparation, form and contents.
- § 13-230. Dedication and improvements.
- § 13-231. Fees.
- § 13-232. Soil tests.
- § 13-233. Corrective action on poor soil.
- § 13-234. Check and transmittal of final map.
- § 13-235. Violations.
- § 13-236. Filing prerequisite to sale, lease, financing, issuance of building permits,…
- § 13-237. Purpose.
- § 13-238. General.
- § 13-239. Contents of tentative map.
- § 13-240. Action by planning commission.
- § 13-241. Dedication and improvements.
- § 13-242. Duration of approval.
- § 13-243. Final parcel map and improvement agreements.
- § 13-244. Recording final parcel map.
- § 13-245. Filing prerequisite to sale, lease, financing, issuance of building permits,…
- § 13-246. Legal description of lots.
- § 13-248. Violations.
- § 13-249. Waiver provisions.
- § 13-250. Purpose.
- § 13-251. Requirement.
- § 13-252. Application.
- § 13-253. Relation of land required to population density.
- § 13-254. Population density.
- § 13-255. Amount of land to be dedicated.
- § 13-256. Amount of fee in lieu of land dedication.
- § 13-257. Combination of land and fee.
- § 13-258. Action of city.
- § 13-259. Procedures, credits.
- § 13-260. Statement of city responsibility.
- § 13-261. Park and recreation fee in lieu of land dedication notice.
- § 13-262. Purpose.
- § 13-263. Procedures.
- § 13-264. Recordation.
- § 13-265. Deed requirement.
- § 13-266. Purpose.
- § 13-267. Definitions.
- § 13-268. Fee required.
- § 13-269. Purpose.
- § 13-270. Establishment of development impact fee.
- § 13-271. Purpose.
- § 13-272. Definitions.
- § 13-273. Comprehensive transportation system improvement program.
- § 13-274. Development fee program.
- § 13-275. Development project review procedures.
- § 13-276. Exemptions.
- Article 4 — Park and Recreation Impact Fees
- § 13-277. Purpose.
- § 13-278. Definitions.
- § 13-279. Exceptions for construction.
- § 13-280. Exterior noise standards.
- § 13-281. Interior noise standards.
- § 13-282. Noise near schools, hospitals, churches.
- § 13-283. Loud, unnecessary noise.
- § 13-284. Noise level measurement.
- § 13-285. Variance procedure.
- § 13-286. Violations.
- § 13-287. Nuisance declared.
- § 13-288. Purpose of chapter.
- § 13-289. Where permitted.
- § 13-290. Drilling from outside city limits.
- § 13-291. Permit required for maintenance of existing wells and production equipment.
- § 13-292. Permit and inspection fees.
- § 13-293. Adoption of standard conditions.
- § 13-294. Existing wooden derricks.
- § 13-295. Use of earthen sumps prohibited.
- § 13-296. Abandonment of wells.
- § 13-297. Refineries, tank farms and commercial absorption plants prohibited.
- § 13-298. Enforcement.
- § 13-299. Penalties.
- § 13-300. Validity.
- § 13-301. Repeal of conflicting ordinance.
- § 13-302. Core holes and test holes prohibited.
- § 13-310. Purpose.
- § 13-311. Special use permit required.
- § 13-312. Compliance.
- § 13-313. Severability.
- § 13-320. Purpose.
- § 13-321. Definitions.
- § 13-322. Group homes in the R2-MD, R2-HD and R3 residential zones and the PDRLD,…
- § 13-323. Conditional use permit required for group homes, residential care facilities…
- § 13-324. Compliance.
- § 13-325. Severability.
- § 13-326. Purpose.
- § 13-327. Applicability.
- § 13-328. Exemptions.
- § 13-329. Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.
- § 13-330. Definitions.
- § 13-331. Affordable housing requirements.
- § 13-332. Alternative compliance procedures.
- § 13-333. Affordable housing agreement and affordable housing plan.
- § 13-334. Affordable housing trust fund.
- § 13-335. Density bonus.
- § 13-336. Parking requirements.
- § 13-337. Concurrent processing.
- § 13-338. Compliance monitoring.
- § 13-339. Administrative procedures.
- § 13-340. Enforcement.
Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.
Ask AI about this code▸ Contents — Costa Mesa Zoning Code
Costa Mesa Zoning Code
-
▸ Title 13 — Planning, Zoning and Development
Overview- Chapter I — IN GENERAL
- Chapter II — ZONING DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED
- Chapter III — PLANNING APPLICATIONS
- Chapter IV — CITYWIDE LAND USE MATRIX
- Chapter V — DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
- Chapter VII — LANDSCAPING STANDARDS
- Chapter VIII — SIGNS
- Chapter IX — SPECIAL LAND USE REGULATIONS
- Chapter X — NONCONFORMING USES, DEVELOPMENTS AND LOTS
- Chapter XI — SUBDIVISIONS
- Chapter XII — SPECIAL FEE ASSESSMENTS
- Chapter XIII — NOISE CONTROL
- Chapter XIV — OIL DRILLING
- Chapter XV — GROUP HOMES
- Chapter XVII — AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORDINANCE