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Title 14 — ZONING

§ 14.09

San Rafael Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · San Rafael

14.09.010 - Specific purposes.

In addition to the general purposes listed in Section 14.01.030, the specific purposes of the public/quasipublic district include the following:

A.

To provide sites for governmental, educational, public safety, public utility, residential and public transportation facilities.

B.

To provide site opportunities for recreation and nonprofit community service facilities.

(Ord. 1831 § 1 (part), 2004; Ord. 1625 § 1 (part), 1992).

14.09.020 - Land use regulations (P/QP).

P: Permitted by right; C: Conditional use permit; CZ: Conditional use permit/zoning administrator; A: Administrative use permit; Blank: Not allowed.

Table 14.09.020

Table 14.09.020
Type of Land Use P/QP Additional Use
Regulations
Public, Quasi-Public and Community Uses
Community Gardens P Subject to
Performance
Standards Outlined in
Chapter 14.17.
Public facilities
Administrative ofces (city and county, special district, public utility,
etc.)
P
Libraries, museums and other cultural facilities P
Public and utility facilities (corporation, maintenance or storage yards,
pump stations, utility substations, storm drainage ponds, water tanks,
utility distribution facilities, etc.)
C
Safety facilities (police, fre or paramedics) P
Sewage or water treatment facilities, including wastewater ponds and
irrigation areas
P
Quasi-public service uses, including clubs and other service
organizations, which pursue or provide programs such as day care,
religious or similar use
C
Schools
Parochial, private C
Public P
Business, performing arts, vocational CZ
Use of school sites for other uses C* *May include: child
care programs;
educational,
recreational, cultural
and religious classes,
programs and
activities;
administrative ofces
incidental to
educational service
uses; churches;
counseling groups;
and those private
business uses which
quality as home
occupations.
Commercial Uses
Funeral and interment services
Cemeteries, mausoleums P
Recreation facilities (indoors or outdoors) C
Transportation Facilities
Bus stations, public C
"Park and ride" facilities CZ
Road right-of-ways, slope easements or similar public improvements C
Transit stations, public, or transitways C
Residential Uses
Single-family residential C
Duplex residential C
Multifamily residential C See
Chapter 14.17
standards.
Rooming or boarding houses C See
Chapter 14.17
standards.
Home occupations P See
Chapter 14.16
standards.
Live/work quarters A See
Chapter 14.17
standards.
Residential care facilities for the handicapped
Small (0—6 residents) P
Large (7 or more residents) P
Residential care facilities, other
Small (0—6 residents) P
Large (7 or more residents) C
Rooming or boarding houses A
Family day care See
Chapter 14.17
standards.
Small (0—6 children or adults) P
Large (7—12 children) A See
Chapter 14.17
standards
Large (7—12 adults) C See
Chapter 14.17
standards
Emergency shelters for the homeless
Permanent C See Section
14.16.115
Rotating or temporary C
Day care center CZ
Temporary Uses
Temporary uses A See
Chapter 14.17
standards.
Accessory Structures and Uses
Accessory structures and uses customarily incidental to a permitted use
and contained on the same site.
P See
Chapter 14.16
regulations.

(Ord. 1831 § 1 (part), 2004; Ord. 1694 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 1996; Ord. 1641 § 1 (part), 1993; Ord. 1625 § 1 (part), 1992).

(Ord. No. 1923, § 2(Exh. A), 6-16-2014; Ord. No. 1964, § 2(Exh. B) § 8, 11-19-2018)

14.09.030 - Property development standards (P/QP).

NR: Not required unless otherwise noted in Additional Standards.

Note: See Chapter 14.16, Site and Use Regulations, for additional regulations pertaining to floor area ratio and site development standards. See Chapters 14.23, Variances, and 14.24, Exceptions, for allowable adjustments to these standards. See Chapter 14.25, Environmental and Design Review Permits, for a listing of improvements subject to review and design guidelines and criteria for development.

Table 14.09.030

Table 14.09.030
P/QP Additional Standards
Minimum lot area (sq. ft.) NR
Minimum lot area/dwelling unit (sq. ft.) (Max. residential intensity) 1,800
Floor area ratio (Max. non-residential intensity) * * See Section
14.16.150
Minimum lot width (sq. ft.) NR
Minimum yards:
Front (ft.) NR (A)
Side (ft.) NR (A)
Rear (ft.) NR (A)
Maximum height of structure (ft.) 36 (B), (C)
Maximum lot coverage NR
Minimum landscaping 10% (D)
Parking * * Based on use. See
Section
14.18.040

(A)

Where the frontage of a block is partially in a residential district, the front yard shall be the same as required for that residential district, and when the side and/or rear of the lot(s) abuts a residential district, the respective side and/or rear yard shall be ten feet (10′).

(B)

Exceptions may be granted for a height above thirty-six feet (36′), subject to the provisions of Chapter 14.24, Exceptions.

(C)

Buildings existing or approved as of January 1, 1987 which are more than three (3) stories in height shall not be considered nonconforming, and are listed in Section 14.16.040, Buildings over three (3) stories.

(D)

For parking lot landscaping, see Section 14.18.160, Parking lot screening and landscaping.

(Ord. 1831 § 1 (part), 2004; Ord. 1663 § 1 (part), 1994; Ord. 1625 § 1 (part), 1992).

(Ord. No. 1882, Exh. A, §§ 29, 30, 6-21-2010)

Chapter 14.10 - PARKS/OPEN SPACE DISTRICT (P/OS)

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