§132.0505 Coastal Height Limit

• (a) Notwithstanding any section to the contrary, no building or addition to a building shall be constructed with a height in excess of thirty feet within the Coastal Zone of the City of San Diego.

• (b) The words “Coastal Zone” as used within this section shall mean that land and water area of the City of San Diego from the northern City limits, south to the border of the Republic of Mexico, extending seaward to the outer limits of City jurisdiction and extending inland to the location of Interstate 5 on January 1, 1971. This limitation shall not apply to:

  • (1) that land area of the Coastal Zone bounded by National City on the south, San Diego Bay on the west and Laurel Street or the southwesterly projection of Laurel Street on the north or,

  • (2) that the land area of the Coastal Zone bounded by Ingraham Street on the west, Sea World Drive on the south, Mission Bay on the north and the boat ramp access road in South Shores Park on the east or

  • (3) that land area of the Coastal Zone approximately bounded on the north and west by Camino de la Plaza, on the south by the international border with the Republic of Mexico, and on the east by Virginia Avenue, including that adjacent strip of land of approximately forty by 520 feet which is located south of Camino de la Plaza and east of Virginia Avenue, all as more particularly described as Document No. OO-18836, a copy of which is on file with the City Clerk; and

  • (4) that land area of the Coastal Zone within the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area approximately bounded by the San Diego River on the north; San Diego International Airport and Laurel Street on the south; Interstate 5 on the east; and Sports Arena Boulevard, Midway Drive, Kemper Street, Rosecrans Street, and Lytton Street, including the Kemper Neighborhood Village and the Lytton District, on the west; as more particularly described in Document No. OO-21508, a copy of which is on file with the City Clerk.

• (c) The base of measurement of the height shall be in accordance with the Uniform Building Code of 1970.

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• (d) Other than the restoration of the chimney and rooftop cupola as part of the historic restoration of the 1915 Agar/Mission Brewery Building located at Washington and Hancock Streets in San Diego, California, and as described in sections 132.0505(b)(1) through (b)(4), there shall be no exception to the provisions of this section.

• (e) No building or structure or addition to a building or structure within the land described in exception section 132.0505(b)(2), shall exceed one-half the height of the existing Sea World Sky Tower on that land using the base of measurement in accordance with the Uniform Building Code of 1970.

• (f) No taxpayer funds shall be spent for any improvements in connection with a building or structure or addition to a building or structure within the land described in exception section 132.0505(b)(2).

• (g) The exception set forth in section 132.0505(b)(2) shall remain in effect as long as the land described therein is used for recreational, exhibition, educational, research and scientific purposes.

• (h) No more than five acres of the approximately sixty-six acre site described in section 132.0505(b)(3) may contain buildings or structures, or additions to buildings or structures, measuring up to 150 feet in height. No more than five additional acres of the remaining portion of the property may contain buildings or structures, or additions to buildings or structures, measuring up to eighty feet in height. As to the remaining portion of the property, no buildings or structures, or additions to buildings or structures, shall exceed fifty feet in height. The footprint of the entire building or structure shall be used to calculate the five acres, whether or not the entire building or structure measures 150 feet or eight feet in height. The measurement of height shall use the base of measurement in accordance with the Uniform Building Code of 1970.

• (i) This section may be amended, including an amendment to make an exception to the thirty-foot height limitation, only by a majority vote of the voters of the City of San Diego.

[Editor’s Note: Section 132.0505 is a codification of Proposition D, which was adopted by the people of the City of San Diego and became effective on December 7, 1972. Section 132.0505 was amended by Proposition L adopted on November 8, 1988; amended by Proposition D on November 3, 1998; and, amended by Proposition C adopted on November 7, 2000.]

(Added 12-9-1997 by O-18451 N.S.; effective 1-1-2000.)

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(Amended 7-24-2020 by O-21220 N.S.; effective 12-8-2020.) [Editor’s Note: Section 132.0505 was amended by Measure E and adopted on December 8, 2020. ]

(Amended 7-29-2022 by O-21508 N.S.; effective 12-12-2022.) (Amended 6-11-2024 by O-21811 N.S.; effective 7-11-2024.)

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Chapter 13: Zones

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Article 2: Overlay Zones