§ 17.20
Pasadena Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · Pasadena
17.20.010 - Purpose of Chapter ¶
This Chapter establishes the zoning districts applied to property within the City and adopts the City's Zoning Map.
17.20.020 - Zoning Map and Zoning Districts ¶
The Council hereby adopts the City of Pasadena Zoning Map (hereafter referred to as the "Zoning Map") which is on file with the Department. The Zoning Map is hereby incorporated into this Zoning Code by reference as though it were fully included here.
A.
Zoning districts established. The City of Pasadena shall be divided into zoning districts which implement the Pasadena General Plan.
1.
The primary zoning districts and overlay districts shown in Table 2-1 are hereby established, and shall be shown on the Zoning Map.
2.
The overlay districts may be combined with any primary zoning district as determined by Chapter 17.28 (Overlay Districts).
3.
The specific plan districts identify areas of the City where allowable land uses, land use permit requirements, and development standards are determined by the applicable specific plan, and are found either in Article 3 (Specific Plan Standards), or the specific plan document.
4.
The primary zoning districts may be shown on the Zoning Map together with letter or numerical suffixes to identify land use regulations and development standards applicable to specific sites. These suffixes may reference provisions of this Zoning Code that address any of the following topics:
a.
Residential units-per-acre, indicating permitted dwelling-unit densities exclusive of any bonuses; or
b.
CD or other specific plan area subdistricts, indicating applicable subdistrict regulations.
5.
The applicability of specific suffixes to specific zoning districts is determined by Chapters 17.22 (Residential Districts), 17.24 (Commercial and Industrial Districts), and 17.26 (Special Purpose Districts).
| TABLE 2-1 - ZONING DISTRICTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Zoning District Symbol |
Zoning District Name | General Plan Land Use Classifcation Implemented by Zoning District |
| Residential Districts | ||
| RS-1 - RS-6 | Single-Family Residential | Low-Density Residential |
| RM-12 | Multi-Family Residential - Two Units Per Lot | Low-Medium Density Residential |
|---|---|---|
| RM-16 | Multi-Family Residential - City of Gardens | Medium Density Residential |
| RM-32 | Multi-Family Residential - City of Gardens | Medium-High Density Residential |
| RM-48 | Multi-Family Residential - City of Gardens | High Density Residential |
| Commercial and Industrial Districts | ||
| CO | Commercial Ofce | General Commercial |
| CL | Limited Commercial | Neighborhood Commercial |
| CG | General Commercial | General Commercial |
| IG | General Industrial | Industrial |
| Special Purpose Districts | ||
| OS | Open Space | Open Space |
| PD | Planned Development | All |
| PS | Public and Semi-Public | Institutional |
| Overlay Districts | ||
| AD | Alcohol Density | Commercial |
| HD | Hillside Development | Residential |
| HL | Height Limit | All |
| HL-1 | Height Limit | Multi-family Residential |
| HH | Hospitality Home | Residential |
| IS | Interim Study | All |
| LD | Landmark | All |
| ND | Neighborhood | Low Density Residential |
| OC | Ofce Conversion | Multi-family Residential |
| PK | Parking | Residential |
| WAH | Workforce/Afordable Housing | Multi-family Residential |
| SS | Specialty Shop Overlay District | Residential |
| Specifc Plan Areas | ||
| See Article 3 - Specifc Plan Standards |
B.
Interpretation of zoning district boundaries. If there is uncertainty about the location of any zoning district boundary or other feature shown on the Zoning Map, the precise location of the boundary shall be determined by the Zoning Administrator.
1.
District boundaries shown as approximately following the property line of a lot shall be construed to follow the lot line.
2.
If a district boundary is not coterminous with a lot line, the location of the district boundary shall be determined by using the scale appearing on the zoning map, unless the boundary location is indicated by dimensions printed on the map.
3.
District boundaries shown as approximately following right-of-way lines of freeways, streets, alleys, railroads, or other identifiable boundary lines shall be construed to follow such right-of-way or boundary lines.
4.
District boundaries shown as lying within right-of-way lines of freeways, streets, alleys, railroads, or other identifiable boundary lines shall be construed to follow the centerline of such right-of-way or boundary lines.
(Ord. 7142 § 2, 2008; Ord. 7113 § 2, 2007; Ord. 7071 § 2, 2006)
Chapter 17.21 - Development and Land Use Approval Requirements
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