South Pasadena Municipal Code § 36.230.030 Commercial

36.230.010 Purpose of Division.¶

This division lists the uses of land that may be allowed within the commercial zoning districts established by SPMC 36.200.020 (Zoning Map and Zoning Districts). It also determines the type of zoning approval/approval required for each use, and provides basic standards for site development.

(Ord. No. 2108 § 1; Ord. No. 2379 § 5 (Exh. A), 2023.)

Exceptions & meaning →

36.230.020 Purposes of Commercial Zoning Districts.¶

The Commercial zoning districts are intended to provide a range of commercial opportunities within South Pasadena. The purposes of the individual Commercial zoning districts and the manner in which they are applied are as follows.

A. CG (Commercial General) district. The CG zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for a wide range of commercial retail and service land uses. The CG zoning district is consistent with the Mixed Use Core land use designation of the General Plan.

B. CO (Commercial Office) district. The CO zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for professional offices. Other uses including business support services, restaurants, and specialty retail land uses may be allowed. The CO zoning district is consistent with the Mixed Use Core land use designation in the General Plan.

C. BP (Business Park) district. The BP zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for light manufacturing and business park uses including research and development, corporate headquarter offices, and support service and retail land uses. Land uses in the BP District are intended to be designed as campus-business park environments. The BP zoning district is consistent with the Mixed Use Core land use designation of the General Plan.

D. MU (Mixed Use) overlay district. The MU overlay district may be applied to all CO, CG, and BP zoning districts as an overlay to allow for a wide range of development that contains a mix of functions, including commercial, entertainment, office, and housing. The MU overlay district is consistent with the Mixed Use Core land use designation in the General Plan. The intent of this overlay district includes implementation of General Plan policy direction and applicable State laws to allow for 100 percent residential development in the CO and CG zoning districts.

(Ord. No. 2108 § 1; Ord. No. 2379 § 5 (Exh. A), 2023.)

Exceptions & meaning →

36.230.030 Commercial District Land Uses and Permit Requirements.¶

A. General requirements. Table 2-4 identifies the uses of land allowed by this Zoning Code in the commercial zoning districts, and the zoning approval required to establish each use, in compliance with SPMC 36.210.030 (Allowable Land Uses and Permit Requirements).

Note: where the last column in the tables (“Specific Use Regulations”) includes a section number, the regulations in the referenced section apply to the use; however, provisions in other sections of this Zoning Code may also apply.

B. Design guidelines and standards. Land uses and structures proposed within the commercial zoning districts shall comply with any adopted design guidelines to the extent required by the Review Authority and/or specific provisions of any design guidelines and any applicable objective design standards for qualifying residential and mixed-use projects. Qualifying residential projects shall comply with the ministerial approval process established by SPMC 36.410.040(D)(6).

TABLE 2-4.	P	Permitted	Use
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT	CUP	Conditional Us require	e Permit d
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS PARK	AUP	Administrative U require	se Permit d
DISTRICTS	—	Use not all	owed
	PERM	IT REQUIREMENT BY ZONE	Specific Use
LAND USE (1)	CO	CG BP	Regulations
MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING USE	S
Electronics, equipment, and appliance manufacturing	—	— P
Food and beverage products manufacturing	—	— P
Furniture/fixtures manufacturing, cabinet shops	—	— P
Handcraft industries, small-scale manufacturing,less than3,500 sf	—	— P
Handcraft industries, small-scale manufacturing, 3,500 sf or more	—	— CUP
Laundries and dry cleaning plants,less than3,500 sf	—	— P
Laundries and dry cleaning plants,3,500 sf or more	—	— CUP
Mediapostproduction facilities	—	— P

TABLE 2-4.	P		Permitted	Use
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT	CUP	Con	ditional Us require	e Permit d
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS PARK	AUP	Admi	nistrative U require	se Permit d
DISTRICTS	—		Use not all	owed
	PERM	IT REQU BY ZO	IREMENT NE	Specific Use
LAND USE (1)	CO	CG	BP	Regulations
Metal products fabrication, machine/weldingshops	—	—	P
Photographic processing plants,less than 3,500 sf	—	—	P
Photographic processing plants,3,500 sf or more	—	—	CUP
Plumbing and heating shops,less than 3,500 sf	—	—	P
Plumbing and heating shops,3,500 sf or more	—	—	CUP
Printing and publishing,less than 3,500 sf	—	P	P
Printing and publishing, 3,500 sf or more	—	P	CUP
Recycling facilities	—	CUP	CUP	36.350.160
Recycling facilities—Reverse vending machines	—	P	P	36.350.160
Warehouses, wholesaling and distribution	—	—	P
RECREATION,EDUCATION & PUBLIC A	SSEMBL	Y USES
Adult entertainment businesses	—	—	(2)	36.350.030
Clubs,lodges,fraternal organizations	—	CUP	CUP
Indoor amusement/entertainment facilities	—	P	CUP
Libraries, museums, galleries	—	AUP	CUP
Outdoor recreation facilities	—	CUP	CUP
Schools—Private	—	CUP	CUP
Schools—Specialized education, tutoring, and training	—	AUP/ CUP	CUP	3,000 sf or smaller requires an AUP, greater than 3,000 sf requires a CUP

TABLE 2-4.	P		Permitted Use
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT	CUP	Con	ditional Use Permit required
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS PARK	AUP	Admi	nistrative Use Permit required
DISTRICTS	—		Use not allowed
	PERM	IT REQU BY ZO	IREMENT NE Specific Use
LAND USE (1)	CO	CG	Regulations BP
Special needs educational and training facilities	—	CUP	CUP
Studios/health/fitness facility—Dance, martial arts, music, photography, etc.	AUP/ CUP	AUP/ CUP	CUP 3,000 sf or smaller requires an AUP, greater than 3,000 sf requires a CUP
Theaters and auditoriums	—	CUP	—
Community gardens	CUP	CUP	CUP 36.350.230
RESIDENTIAL USES
Emergency shelter	—	CUP	P 36.350.250
Live/work units	—	—	— 36.350.110
Mixed-use projects	P	P	P 36.230.050
Multifamily dwellings(5)	P	P	P(6) 36.230.050
Single-room occupancy	—	—	P 36.350.260
Transitional and supportive housing, including low barrier navigation centers	P	P	P
RETAIL TRADE
Alcoholic beverage sales	—	CUP	— 36.350.040
Auto parts sales	—	P	—
Auto sales and rental	—	CUP	CUP
Building material stores	—	P	CUP 36.350.220
Coffee roastingandpackaging,retail	—	CUP	—
Construction/heavy equipment sales and rental	—	CUP	CUP
Convenience and liquor stores	—	CUP	— 36.350.040
Department stores	—	P	—
Equipment sales and rental	—	CUP	CUP
Extended hour businesses (11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.)	—	CUP	CUP

TABLE 2-4.	P		Permitted	Use
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT	CUP	Cond	itional Us require	e Permit d
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS PARK	AUP	Admin	istrative U require	se Permit d
DISTRICTS	—	U	se not allo	wed
	PERM	IT REQUI BY ZON	REMENT E	Specific Use
LAND USE (1)	CO	CG	BP	Regulations
Furniture, furnishings and appliance stores	—	P	—
Gas stations	—	CUP	CUP
General retail	—	P	CUP	36.350.140, 36.350.220
Grocery stores	—	AUP	—
Hardware stores	—	P	—
Multi-tenant retail	—	CUP	—
Outdoor display and retail activities	—	AUP	CUP
Plant nurseries and garden supply stores	—	P	—	36.350.140, 36.350.220
Restaurants	CUP	P	P
Restaurants, multi-tenant retail		CUP(3)
Restaurants,take-out and with accessory retail food	CUP	P	P
Restaurants,with catering and/or accessoryretail food	CUP	CUP	CUP
Restaurants,with outdoor diningonly	AUP	AUP	AUP	36.350.130
Secondhand stores	—	P	—
Tobacco retailer—Primary use	—	P	CUP	SPMC Chapter 18, Article 6 or its successor
Tobacco retailer—Accessory use	—	As required for the primary use that the accessory use is associated with	As required for the primary use that the accessory use is associated with
Warehouse retail	—	CUP	—	36.350.220
SERVICES—BUSINESS & PROFESSIONA	L

TABLE 2-4.	P		Permitted Use
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT	CUP	Con	ditional Use Permit required
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS PARK	AUP	Admi	nistrative Use Permit required
DISTRICTS	—		Use not allowed
	PERM	IT REQU BY ZO	IREMENT NE Specific Use
LAND USE (1)	CO	CG	Regulations BP
Automated teller machines(ATMs)	P	P	P 36.350.060
Banks and financial services	—	P	P
Business support services	—	CUP	P(4)
Offices—Production, research and development	P	P	P
Offices—Professional and administrative	P	P	P
SERVICES—OTHER
Ambulance service	—	CUP	CUP
Bed and breakfast inns	CUP	CUP	—
Child/adult day care centers	—	AUP/ CUP	CUP 3,000 sf or smaller requires an AUP, greater than 3,000 sf requires a CUP
Contractor storage yard	—	—	CUP
Convenience services	P	P	P
Hotels and motels	—	CUP	—
Medical services—Clinics	—	CUP	—
Medical services—Laboratories	—	CUP	P
Medical services—Offices	P	P	P
Massage establishment	—	CUP	— SPMC 17.15(B)
Personal services	CUP	P	— SPMC 17.13
Personal services—Restricted	—	AUP	—
Vehicle repair and maintenance—Major repair work	—	CUP	—
Vehicle repair and maintenance—Service and maintenance	—	CUP	—
Veterinary clinics,hospitals, kennels	—	CUP	CUP
Wine cellar	—	P	P
TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATIO	NS

TABLE 2-4.	P		Permitted	Use
ALLOWED USES AND PERMIT	CUP	Con	ditional Us require	e Permit d
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS PARK	AUP	Admi	nistrative require	Use Permit d
DISTRICTS	—		Use not all	owed
	PERM	IT REQU BY ZO	IREMENT NE	Specific Use
LAND USE (1)	CO	CG	BP	Regulations
Parking facilities/vehicle storage	—	CUP	—
Broadcasting studios	—	CUP	P
Telecommunications facilities	CUP	CUP	CUP	36.350.210

Notes:

(1) See Article 7 for land use definitions.

(2) Requires an adult business permit in compliance with SPMC 36.350.030.

(3) If multi-tenant retail complies with the parking regulations in SPMC 36.310.040, a CUP is required if a new restaurant would cause the restaurant square footage in the multi-tenant retail to exceed 20 percent of the total square footage. If the multi-tenant retail is legal nonconforming with the parking regulations in SPMC 36.310.040, a CUP is required if a restaurant use in an existing space has been abandoned for a period of 18 months or longer, and for all additional restaurants in new spaces or spaces previously occupied by a non-restaurant.

(4) Business support services consisting of laboratory uses require a CUP.

(5) See SPMC 36.230.050 regarding properties identified as housing sites in the General Plan Housing Element sites inventory as Mixed Use.

(6) Residential units shall be located above the ground-floor level.

(Ord. No. 2108 § 1; Ord. No. 2128 § 1; Ord. No. 2132 § 1; Ord. No. 2165 § 1, 2007; Ord. No. 2172 § 3, 2008; Ord. No. 2183 § 5, 2009; Ord. No. 2197 § 3, 2009; Ord. No. 2202 § 3, 2010; Ord. No. 2207 § 5, 2010; Ord. No. 2208 § 6, 2010; Ord. No. 2244 § 5, 2013; Ord. No. 2251 § 4, 2013; Ord. No. 2292 § 5, 2016; Ord. No. 2358 § 1, 2021; Ord. No. 2372 § 4, 2023; Ord. No. 2379 § 5 (Exh. A), 2023.)

Exceptions & meaning →

36.230.040 Commercial District General Development Standards.¶

Subdivisions, new land uses and structures, and alterations to existing land uses and structures, shall be designed, constructed, and/or established in compliance with the requirements in Table 2-5, in addition to the applicable development standards (e.g., landscaping, parking and loading, etc.) in Article 3 (Site Planning and General Development Standards).

TABLE 2-5. COMMERCIAL DISTRICT GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

Development Feature	Require	ment by Zoning Di	strict
	CO	CG	BP
Minimum lot size	Minimum area and subdivisions.	width for parcels pro	posed in new
Area	10,000 sf

TABLE 2-5. COMME Development Feature	RCIAL DISTRICT STANDARD Requir	GENERAL DEV S ement by Zonin	ELOPMENT g District
	CO	CG	BP
Width	50 ft
Setbacks	Minimum setback setback measurem setbacks,and exce	s required. See SP ent, allowed proje ptions to setbacks	MC 36.300.030 for ctions into .
Front	10 ft	None required	None required
Sides, each	4 ft; an additional 1 ft setback shall be provided for each story above the second story. (3-story building = 5 ft. 4-story building = 6 ft, etc.)	None required	None required
Street side	None required		None required
Rear	None, except if adjacent to an alley 5 ft, or if adjacent to a RS district 25ft	None required	None required
Lot coverage	Maximum percent covered by structu	age of total lot are res.	a that may be
	No maximum		50%
Height limit	Maximum allowab 36.300.040 (Heig measurement requ	le height of struct ht Limits and Exce irements.	ures.See SPMC ptions) for height
Maximum height	35ft
Landscaping	As required bySP	MC 36.330(Lands	capingStandards)
Parking	As required bySP	MC 36.310(Parkin	gand Loading)
Signs	As required bySP	MC 36.320(Signs)

(Ord. No. 2108 § 1; Ord. No. 2379 § 5 (Exh. A), 2023; Ord. No. 2403 § 4 (Exh. A), 2025.)

Exceptions & meaning →

36.230.050 Mixed Use Overlay District Development Standards.¶

A. New development. Subdivisions, new land uses, and structures developed as mixed-use development or as urban residential (multifamily) development within CO, CG, or BP zoning districts and with the Mixed Use Overlay shall be designed, constructed, and/or established in compliance with the requirements in Table 2-6, in addition to the applicable development standards (e.g., landscaping, parking and loading, etc.) in Article 3 (Site Planning and General Development Standards).

B. For properties designated in the General Plan Housing Element sites inventory as Mixed Use, in addition to all other requirements in this section, projects of 100 percent residential development shall be permitted, and at least 50 percent of the total floor area of mixed-used developments on any sites identified as Mixed Use in the Housing Element sites inventory must be developed as residential use.

C. Redevelopment. Substantial alteration of an existing mixed-use development or urban residential (multi-family) development within the CO, CG, or BP zoning districts shall be improved to satisfy the requirements in Table 2-6, in addition to the applicable development standards (e.g., landscaping, parking and loading, etc.) in Article 3 (Site Planning and General Development Standards).

D. Notes column in Table 2-6. Where the last column in Table 2-6 (“Notes”) includes a section number, the regulations in the referenced section apply to the standard; however, provisions in other sections of this Zoning Code may also apply.

TABLE 2-6. MIXED	USE OVERLAY DISTRIC STANDARDS	T DEVELOPMENT
Development Feature	Requirement	Notes
DEVELOPMENT INTENSIT	Y
Minimum Size or Area	20,000 sf	Minimum area for parcels proposed for new subdivisions.
Minimum Lot Frontage	80 ft	Minimum width for parcels proposed for new subdivisions.
Density Range for Residential	52 to 70 du/ac
Maximum Lot Coverage
Minimum Residential Unit Size
NONRESIDENTIAL USES
Location	Nonresidential uses are required along the street frontage in the areas described in the General Plan for development within a Corridor, District, or Neighborhood Centers.
BUILDING HEIGHT AND F	ORM
Maximum Height	55 feet (see SPMC 36.300.040(A))	Nonhabitable building features such as chimneys, cupolas, flagpoles, monuments, steeples, pitched roofs, screened equipment, roof access stairs, elevator rooms and shafts, elevator overruns, and similar structures or projections shall be contained within the height limit as set forth in SPMC 36.300.040(A).
Maximum Stories
Maximum Floor Area by Story

TABLE 2-6. MIXED Development Feature	USE OVERLAY DISTRI STANDARDS Requirement	CT DEVELOPMENT Notes
Maximum Facade Length	100 ft	A minimum building break of 10 feet wide by 10 feet deep is required so as to prevent facade lengths longer than 100 feet.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIP	TO STREET
Minimum Building Frontage	60%
Maximum Elevation of Building Entry Above the Street/Sidewalk Level and Maximum Recess Below the Street/Sidewalk Level	2 ft	Entries into individual residential units may be located up to 4 feet above the street/sidewalk level.
Minimum Ground Floor Height	12 ft
NONRESIDENTIAL USE G	ROUND FLOOR BUILDING	DESIGN
Maximum Blank Wall Length	25 ft
Minimum Glazing	50%
Minimum Tenant Space Width	25 ft
Minimum Number of Entries	1 per 100 lineal ft
Minimum Wall Plane Articulation	To/from window/door— minimum 6 inches To/from column/other feature—minimum 18 inches	Windows, door, columns, and other features shall be recessed or project forward to provide the respective minimum differential from the wallplane
Signs SETBACKS FOR NONRESI	As required by SPMC 36.320(Signs) DENTIAL
Front—Ground Floor	Per the underlying zoning district
Side—Ground Floor	Per the underlying zoning district
Rear	15ft
SETBACKS FOR RESIDENT	IAL
Front—Ground Floor	5 ft in CG district 7.5 ft in other than CG district

TABLE 2-6. MIXED USE OVERLAY DISTRIC STANDARDS	T DEVELOPMENT
Development Feature Requirement	Notes
Side 4 ft; an additional 1 ft setback shall be provided for each story above the second story (i.e., 3-story building = 5 ft. 4-story building= 6 ft,etc.)
Rear 10 ft, or 5 ft abutting an alley
PARKING,LOCATION AND DESIGN(1)
Site Access/Driveway Location The location of site access/driveways shall be prioritized as follows: (1) From an alleyway, (2) From a side street,or (3) If the previous two locations are infeasible as determined by the Director,then access from the front shall be limited to a maximum 24-ft wide driveway.
Location of Parking Spaces/Areas The location of parking spaces/areas shall be limited as follows: (1) Located to the rear of the building on the ground level or underground, and (2) Shall not be located above the ground level or within 30 feet of the front or side street property line, and (3) Parking may be placed within setback areas below grade.
Number of Spaces for Nonresidential Uses As required by SPMC 36.310 (Parking and Loading)	Shared parking or a reduction in parking subject to approval of a parking study—SPMC 36.310.060.Within one- half mile of a high-quality transit station, no parking minimums shall apply for any use except for hotels,

TABLE 2-6. MIXED	USE OVERLAY DISTRIC STANDARDS	T DEVELOPMENT
Development Feature	Requirement	Notes
		motels, bed and breakfast inns,and similar transient lodging facilities per Government Code Section 65863.2.
Number of Spaces for Residential Uses	Studio—0.50 space One-bedroom—1 space Two-bedroom—1.5 spaces Guest Space—not required	Parking is reduced, not required, for qualifying development projects within one-half mile of a major transit stop, as defined in Government Code Section 65863.2.
Design of Surface or Structure Parking	As required by SPMC 36.310 (Parking and	Unless modified by standards herein
	Loading)
LANDSCAPING AND OPEN	SPACE
Minimum Site Landscaping	12%
Minimum Driveway and Parking Area Side Landscaping	5 ft
Minimum Total Combined Useable Open Space per Residential Unit (Common and Private Combined)	200 sf/du	Improved rooftop open space, balconies, and indoor common spaces can be counted toward usable open space.
Common Open Space Requirements	1,000 sf area minimum 25 ft minimum depth and width 50% minimum of the “minimum total combined useable open space” requirement above; 1,000 sf minimum, a minimum of 20 feet in two directions	Up to 25% of the required common open space may be indoor common open space such as fitness rooms, resident lounges and similar or typical facilities. Mail rooms and leasing offices and associated areas do not count towards the required common open space. A minimum of 20% of outdoor common open space shall be landscaped with pervious plant materials that are permanently maintained

TABLE 2-6. MIXED USE OVERLAY DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

Development Feature	Requirement	Notes
		and irrigated and may count toward the minimum site landscaping requirement. Outdoor open space shall comply with SPMC 36.180(D)(1) (General Landscape Standards)
Private Open Space Requirements	Less than 50% of the total required open space. Private open space shall be 8 ft in width and 6 ft in depth to count towards the area requirements.	Individual balconies, ground floor patios, porches, or similar private open space may be provided to meet the area requirements.
Notes:

(1) Guest parking spaces shall be clearly marked for guest parking only and are encouraged to be evenly dispersed throughout the development site. Signs shall be provided at appropriate locations to direct visitors to guest parking locations.

(Ord. No. 2379 § 5 (Exh. A), 2023; Ord. No. 2394 § 4 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. No. 2403 § 4 (Exh. A), 2025.)

Division 36.240. Special Purpose Zoning Districts

Sections:

36.240.010 Purpose of Division.

36.240.020 Purposes of Special Purpose Zoning Districts.

36.240.030 Special Purpose District Land Uses and Permit Requirements.

36.240.040 Special Purpose District General Development Standards.

Exceptions & meaning →

South Pasadena Municipal Code § 36.230.030 Commercial District Land Uses and Permit Requirements

36.230.010 Purpose of Division.¶

36.230.020 Purposes of Commercial Zoning Districts.¶

36.230.030 Commercial District Land Uses and Permit Requirements.¶

36.230.040 Commercial District General Development Standards.¶

36.230.050 Mixed Use Overlay District Development Standards.¶

TABLE 2-6. MIXED USE OVERLAY DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

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