Title 17 — ZONING REGULATIONS CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
Chapter 17.06 — ZONES ESTABLISHED AND ZONING MAP
San Luis Obispo Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-06 · San Luis Obispo
Sections in this part
17.06.010 – Purpose ¶
The purpose of this Chapter is to establish the zones applied to property within the City and to adopt the City’s zoning map.
17.06.020 – Designation of Zones ¶
A. General. The City is divided into zones to allow for orderly, planned development and to implement the General Plan.
B. Base Zone. Every parcel shall have a base zone that establishes the primary type and intensity of land use permitted, along with development regulations for that particular type and intensity of land use.
C. Overlay Zone. An overlay zone supplements the base zone for the purpose of establishing special use or development regulations for a particular area in addition to the provisions of the underlying base zone. In the event of conflict between the base zone regulations and the overlay zone regulations, the provisions of the overlay zone shall apply.
D. Zones Established. All zones shall be listed and appropriately designated on the official zoning map. For purposes of the regulations set out in this T
title, the following zones are created:
Table 1-1: Zones Established
| **Established.**All zones shall be listed and appropriately designated on the official zoni s of the regulations set out in this T |
|
|---|---|
| Table 1-1: Zones Established | |
| Residential Zones | |
| R-1 | Low-Density Residential |
| R-2 | Medium-Density Residential |
| R-3 | Medium-High Density Residential |
| R-4 | High-Density Residential |
| Nonresidential Zones | |
| AG | Agricultural |
| C/OS | Conservation/Open Space |
| O | Office |
| PF | Public Facility |
| C-N | Neighborhood Commercial |
| C-C | Community Commercial |
| C-D | Downtown Commercial |
| C-R | Retail Commercial |
| C-T | Tourist Commercial |
| C-S | Service Commercial |
| M | Industrial |
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ZONING REGULATIONS – TITLE 17
Table 1-1: Zones Established
| Table 1-1: Zones Established | |
|---|---|
| Overlay Zones | |
| AO | Airport Overlay |
| D | Downtown Overlay |
| SP | Specific Plan |
| H | Historic Overlay |
| MU | Mixed Use Overlay |
| S | Special Considerations Overlay |
| S-F | Special Focus Overlay |
| PD | Planned Development Overlay |
17.06.030 – Official Zoning Map ¶
All areas within the City shall be designated within a zone. The boundaries, designations, map symbols and locations of the zones established by the Zoning Regulations shall be shown upon the map(s) entitled "City of San Luis Obispo Zoning Map" and referred to in the Zoning Regulations as the Zoning Map. The official Zoning Map, which shall depict all duly adopted zones, is as much a part of these regulations as if it were fully contained in this document. The official Zoning Map shall be maintained by and in the Community Development Department, and for convenience in more easily identifying zone boundaries may be divided into parts.
17.06.040 – Uncertainty of Boundaries ¶
A. General. Boundaries between zones generally follow lot lines or their extensions, physical features, or contour lines, as noted on the official Zoning Map. Boundaries adjoining streets shall be assumed to follow the centerlines of streets if such location becomes an issue in the use of private property, as when a street is abandoned. Zones which meet a street centerline shall not be considered “adjacent.”
B. Split Zoning. A split-zoned parcel is a parcel to which two or more base zones apply (which does not include overlay zones). All applicable zoning regulations for each particular zone shall be applied separately for each portion of a parcel that is split-zoned. This includes the front, rear and side setback regulations, regardless of the standard setback definition provided in Chapter 17
.XX 158 (General Definitions), as well as any applicable lot coverage regulations.C. Determination. The location of boundaries which are not readily determined by inspection of the official Zoning Map shall be determined by the Director.
17.06.050 – Classification of Annexed Lands and Unclassified Property ¶
Any area annexed to the City shall be prezoned consistent with the General Plan or zoned C/OS until rezoned after annexation.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ZONING REGULATIONS – TITLE 17
CHAPTER 17.08. RESERVED
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ZONING REGULATIONS – TITLE 17
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▸ Title 17 — ZONING REGULATIONS CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
Overview- Article 1 — ENACTMENT, APPLICABILITY, AND ENFORCEMENT
- Chapter 17.02 — PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY OF THE ZONING REGULA…
- Chapter 17.04 — INTERPRETATION OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS
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▸ Chapter 17.06 — ZONES ESTABLISHED AND ZONING MAP
- Chapter 17.12 — AGRICULTURAL (AG) ZONE
- Chapter 17.14 — CONSERVATION/OPEN SPACE (C/OS) ZONE
- Chapter 17.16 — LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-1) ZONE
- Chapter 17.18 — MEDIUM-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-2) ZONE
- Chapter 17.20 — MEDIUM-HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-3) ZONE
- Chapter 17.22 — HIGH-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-4) ZONE
- Chapter 17.24 — OFFICE (O) ZONE
- Chapter 17.26 — NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL (C-N) ZONE
- Chapter 17.28 — COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (C-C) ZONE
- Chapter 17.30 — RETAIL COMMERCIAL (C-R) ZONE
- Chapter 17.32 — DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL (C-D) ZONE
- Chapter 17.34 — TOURIST COMMERCIAL (C-T) ZONE
- Chapter 17.36 — SERVICE COMMERCIAL (C-S) ZONE
- Chapter 17.38 — RESERVED
- Chapter 17.40 — MANUFACTURING (M) ZONE
- Chapter 17.42 — BUSINESS PARK (BP) ZONE
- Chapter 17.44 — RESERVED
- Chapter 17.46 — PUBLIC FACILITY (PF) ZONE
- Chapter 17.48 — PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.50 — SPECIFIC PLAN (SP) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.52 — SPECIAL FOCUS AREA (S-F) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.54 — DOWNTOWN (D) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.56 — HISTORICAL PRESERVATION (H) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.58 — MIXED USE (MU) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.60 — SPECIAL CONSIDERATION (S) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.62 — RESERVED
- Chapter 17.64 — AIRPORT (AOZ) OVERLAY ZONE
- Chapter 17.66 — RESERVED
- Chapter 17.70 — SITE DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STAND…
- Chapter 17.72 — ~~PARKING AND LOADINGP~~ ARKING AND LOADING
- Chapter 17.74 — PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
- Chapter 17.76 — PROPERTY MAINTENANCE STANDARDS
- Chapter 17.78 — FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION
- Chapter 17.80 — STREET REGULATIONS
- Chapter 17.90 — RESERVED
- Chapter 17.92 — NONCONFORMING STRUCTURES
- Chapter 17.94 — NONCONFORMING USES
- Chapter 17.96 — NONCONFORMING LOTS
- Chapter 17.104 — PERMIT APPLICATION FILING AND PROCESSING
- Chapter 17.106 — DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
- Chapter 17.108 — DIRECTOR’S ACTION
- Chapter 17.109 — DIRECTOR’S HEARING
- Chapter 17.110 — MINOR USE PERMITS AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS
- Chapter 17.112 — REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
- Chapter 17.113 — TEMPORARY USE PERMITS
- Chapter 17.114 — VARIANCES
- Chapter 17.120 — ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY
- Chapter 17.122 — PUBLIC NOTICES AND HEARINGS
- Chapter 17.124 — AMENDMENTS - ZONING REGULATIONS AND ZONING MAP
- Chapter 17.126 — APPEALS
- Chapter 17.128 — DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS
- Chapter 17.130 — GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS
- Chapter 17.132 — ENFORCEMENT
- Chapter 17.138 — INCLUSIONARY HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
- Chapter 17.140 — AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVES
- Chapter 17.142 — DOWNTOWN HOUSING CONVERSION REGULATIONS
- Chapter 17.144 — RESIDENTIAL GROWTH MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
- Chapter 17.146 — RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY STANDARDS
- Chapter 17.148 — HIGH-OCCUPANCY RESIDENTIAL USE REGULATIONS
- Chapter 17.154 — DEFINITIONS PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION 17.154.0…
- Chapter 17.158 — GENERAL DEFINITIONS