Article 1

TITLE, COMPONENTS, AND PURPOSES

Sections:

§ 38-1. Title. § 38-2. Components. § 38-3. Purposes.

Chapter 38 of the Monterey City Code shall be known and cited as the “Land Use Zoning Ordinance of the City of Monterey,” or “Zoning Ordinance.”

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

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Ch. 38 Zoning Ordinance | Monterey City Code

The Zoning Ordinance shall have the following components:

• A. Regulations, known as the zoning regulations, establishing various classes of zoning districts and governing the use of land and the placement of buildings and improvements within districts.

• B. A map or set of maps, known as the zoning map, delineating the boundaries of zoning districts within the City of Monterey.

A copy of the zoning regulations and the zoning map, together with a record of all amendments, shall be kept on file with the City Clerk and shall constitute the original record. A copy of the zoning regulations and zoning map currently in effect shall also be kept on file in the Community Development Department. (Ord. 3653 § 19, 2022; Ord. 3424 § 1, 2009)

The broad purposes of the Zoning Ordinance are to protect and promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to implement the policies of the City of Monterey General Plan. More specifically, the Zoning Ordinance is intended to:

• A. Provide a precise guide for the physical development of the city in order to:

  1. Preserve the character and quality of residential neighborhoods;

  2. Foster convenient, harmonious, and workable relationships among land uses;

  3. Achieve progressively the arrangement of land uses described in the General Plan;

• B. Conserve and enhance the city’s architectural and cultural resources;

• C. Conserve and enhance key visual features of Monterey’s setting, including the shoreline, creeks, and undeveloped hillsides, consistent with the General Plan;

• D. Ensure the provision of adequate open space for light, air, and fire safety;

• E. Permit the development of office, commercial, industrial, and related land uses that are consistent with the General Plan in order to strengthen the city’s economic base;

• F. Promote the economic stability of existing land uses that are consistent with the General Plan and protect them from intrusions by inharmonious or harmful land uses;

• G. Prevent population from exceeding limits in the General Plan;

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

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Ch. 38 Zoning Ordinance | Monterey City Code

H. Require the provision of adequate off-street parking and loading facilities, and promote a safe, effective traffic circulation system;

I. Ensure that service demands of new development will not exceed the capacities of existing streets, utilities, or public services; and

• J. Provide for review of the appearance of new development to preserve the beauty of the city.