Sec. 38-30. C-3 General Commercial District.

A. Description. The C-3 General Commercial District is intended to meet the needs of residents with locally serving commercial areas by providing sites for such services as automobile sales and repair services, building materials, contractors’ yards, warehousing, storage and similar uses. Offices not accessory to a permitted use and retail uses are excluded.

B. Land Use Regulations. In the following schedule, the letter “P” designates use classifications permitted in the C-3 district, and the letter “U” designates use classifications allowed on approval of a use permit. The “Additional Regulations” column includes certain limitations and references to regulations located elsewhere in this chapter which apply. If a use classification is not listed, it is prohibited.

Use Permit for Certain Hours of Operation. Any use adjacent to a residential zone which operates before 6:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. requires a use permit.
Use Permit for Large Projects. Any use occupying more than 5,000 square feet of total floor area requires a use permit.

The Monterey City Code is current through Ordinance 3716, passed February 3, 2026.

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Use Permit for Outdoor Activities. All uses shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building. A use permit is required for all outdoor activities, except for service stations, electric substations, off-street parking and loading facilities, nurseries, and sidewalk cafes.

C-3 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT LAND USE REGULATIONS

Additional Regulations

Residential Mixed Use U See Sec. 38-33(G), Mixed Use Projects Multi-family Residential Four or more units U Three or fewer units P Condominiums U See Sec. 38-26(M), Condominiums Supportive Housing -- four or more units U Transitional Housing -- four or more units U Supportive Housing -- three or fewer units P Transitional Housing -- three or fewer units P Accessory Dwelling Units P See Section 38-112.6 Commercial Uses See Sec. 38-33(G) Ambulance Services P Use Permit required adjacent to residential zones Animal Sales and Services Animal Boarding P Animal Grooming P Animal Hospitals P Animals: Retail Sales P Artists’ Studios P Bakeries P

The Monterey City Code is current through Ordinance 3716, passed February 3, 2026.

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C-3 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT LAND USE REGULATIONS

Building Materials and Services	P
Catering Services	P
Commercial Filming	P
Commercial Recreation and Entertainment	P	See	Sec.	38-33(F)
Nighttime Entertainment	U
Communication Facilities	P
with no or little antennae	P
with large antennae	U
Drive-thru service/window	U
Eating and Drinking Establishments		Sec.	38-33(C),(D), (E)Ord 3305; 5/2002
Restaurant -- Full Service	P	Sec.	38-33(C),(D), (E)
Restaurant -- Fast Food	U	Sec.	38-33(C),(D), (E)
Restaurant -- Formula Fast Food	U	Sec.	38-33(C),(D), (E)
Bar	U	Sec.	38-33(C),(E), (K)
Live Entertainment/Dancing	U	Sec.	38-33(E);Prohibited adjacent to
		residential zones
Funeral & Interment Services	P
Kiln, large	U
Laboratories	P
Maintenance and Repair Services	P
Massage Establishments	U
Nurseries	P
Ofces -- Business and Professional	P
Personal Improvement Services	P
Personal Services	P

The Monterey City Code is current through Ordinance 3716, passed February 3, 2026.

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C-3 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT LAND USE REGULATIONS

Retail Sales	P	See Sec.	38-33(C)
Secondhand Appliances/Clothing	P
Travel Services	P
Vehicle/Equipment Sales & Services	P
Automobile Rentals	P
Automobile Washing	P	See Sec.	38-33(H)
Service Stations	P	See Sec.	38-33(H)
Vehicle/Equipment Repair	P
Vehicle/Equipment Sales & Rentals	P
Vehicle Storage	P
Warehousing and Storage, Ltd.	P
Walk-up Service/Window	U
Public and Semipublic
Government Ofces	U
Park & Recreation Facilities	U
Public Safety Facilities	U
PWS Facilities	U
Utilities, Major	U
Utilities, Minor	P
Industrial
Industry -- Custom	U
Industry -- Limited	U

The Monterey City Code is current through Ordinance 3716, passed February 3, 2026.

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C-3 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT LAND USE REGULATIONS

Accessory Uses: Permitted on the site of a See Sec. 38-33(C),(G) permitted use, but requires a use permit if added on the site of a conditional use.

Temporary Uses

Requires administrative approval by the Community Development Director

Nonconforming Uses U See Article 28

P = Permitted U = Use Permit Required

(Ord. 3653 § 19, 2022; Ord. 3641 § 13, 2021; Ord. 3554 § 9, 2016; Ord. 3544 § 7, 2016; Ord. 3472 § 1, 2012; Ord. 3443 § 6, 2010; Ord. 3436 § 2, 2009)

C. Minimum Lot Dimensions and Property Development Standards. The following schedule prescribes minimum lot dimensions and property development regulations for the C-3 district.

C-3 DISTRICT: DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS

Minimum Lot Area (sq. ft.)	10,000
Minimum Lot Width (ft.)	70
Minimum Yards:
Front (ft.)	-	(a),(b)
Side (ft.)	-	(a)
Corner Side (ft.)	-	(a)
Rear (ft.)	-	(a)
Maximum Height of Structures (stories/ft.)	Two stories and 25 ft.
	Three stories and 35 ft. (d)
Maximum Lot Coverage (%)	50	(c)
Parking and Loading	See Article	18
Nonconforming Structures	See Article	28

The Monterey City Code is current through Ordinance 3716, passed February 3, 2026.

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a Abutting or fronting on an R district, the standards of the adjacent district apply.

b Along East Del Monte Avenue, the average yard shall be 15 feet, and the minimum yard shall be 10 feet.

c Lot coverage over 50 percent requires a Use Permit.

d Use Permit is required for buildings with three stories or height in excess of 25 feet. Approval shall be based on Required Findings for Use Permits in Section 38-161 as well as Findings justifying an exception to the permitted height on the basis of achieving City priorities adopted by Council Resolution and compliance with existing Area Plan policies and City design guidelines.

Supplemental site regulations applicable to all C districts are included in Section 38-33. These establish requirements for:

Accessory structures;
Fences and retaining walls;
Outdoor facilities;
Eating and drinking establishments with take-out service;
Live entertainment, game centers, amusement centers, bowling alleys and dance halls;
Mixed use projects;
Service stations and automobile washing;
Adult entertainment; and
Landscaping at scenic entrances.

Supplemental regulations applicable to all zoning districts in the city are contained in Article 17, and off-street parking requirements are found in Article 18.

Planting Areas. Visible yards not used for parking shall have a three-foot planting strip adjoining an interior property line within 50 feet of a street property line. Front and corner side yards that are not used for drives or walks shall be planting area. See Section 38-33(J) for landscaping at scenic entrances.
Fences and Walls. The maximum height of a fence or wall shall be six feet, except in a required front or corner side yards abutting a street where the maximum height shall be four feet.

a. Adjoining an R District or Existing Residential Use. A six-foot-high solid wall (three feet high within 15 feet of a street property line) shall adjoin the property line of an existing ground floor residential use or an R district.

Screening. All uses, including the storage of vehicles, equipment, and materials, if not located entirely within a completely enclosed building, shall be entirely enclosed by a tight uniform screen, not less than six feet high. This requirement shall not apply to nurseries or to the display on a street frontage for sales purposes of new or used cars, trucks, trailers, or farm equipment in operative condition.

The Monterey City Code is current through Ordinance 3716, passed February 3, 2026.

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D. Review of Plans. Applications for new construction and exterior alterations and additions shall be submitted to the Community Development Department for review by the Development Review Committee and the Planning Commission. (Ord. 3715 § 16, 2025; Ord. 3653 § 19, 2022; Ord. 3424 §§ 1, 14, 2009)