Albany — Zoning

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Albany’s zoning rules are codified in Chapter 20, titled Planning and Zoning (often referenced as the Zoning Ordinance) and consist of ordinance text plus the City Zoning Map (Zoning Map). The ordinance establishes base residential and commercial districts (for example R-1, R-2, SPC, CMX, WF), plus overlay districts (for example :H, :CN, :P, :WC, :PR) and specific development controls. The ordinance’s purpose, district list, map rules, and development standards are found throughout Chapter 20; see § 20.04.020, § 20.12.020, and § 20.12.030 for the basic framework and map rules.

Deep, Albany‑specific guidance below summarizes what the Albany ordinance actually says (with the controlling code citations). Where the code text or tables were presented as images in the retrieved materials, I identify those locations and note any missing numeric detail in the Information Gaps section.

How the ordinance is organized

• The ordinance is the City Zoning Ordinance and includes text and the official Zoning Map; map amendments follow the zoning amendment procedure. See § 20.04.020 and § 20.12.030.
• Permitted/conditional uses are summarized in a master Permitted Uses table (Table 1) referenced at § 20.12.040 (see the ordinance for the full table).
• Dimensional and site standards are collected in the Table of Site Regulations by District at § 20.24.020 (residential standards table).
• Parking rules (including San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan parking maximums) are at § 20.28.030.
• Overlay District purposes and rules are at § 20.12.080 and related subsections (and additional overlay-specific rules appear in other parts of Chapter 20).

Note: this page links you to related Albany topics as they come up — for local rules on parking, design review, development standards, ADUs and others see the inline links in the text.

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the primary base districts and key overlay districts named in Albany’s Chapter 20. Each subsection gives the ordinance-stated purpose and the main references where the code sets permitted uses and dimensional standards. Where numeric standards are stated in the code excerpts I cite the precise subsection; where the code shows the rule inside an image/table in the retrieved materials I cite the location of that table and note that the full numeric table is in § 20.24.020.

Note: where the ordinance refers to specific use categories, the full classification language is in § 20.16.010 (Land Use Classifications) and the Permitted Uses matrix at § 20.12.040.

Residential single‑family — R-1

• Purpose / where it applies: Standard single‑family residential neighborhoods. See § 20.12.050.B.1 (designation listed under § 20.12.020).
• Typical permitted uses: Single‑family dwellings, accessory buildings (see accessory rules); other uses are listed in the Table of Permitted Uses § 20.12.040.
• Key dimensional standards: The residential site table at § 20.24.020 controls actual setbacks, height and lot standards for R-1 (e.g., 15 ft typical front setback appears in the table for single‑family/front yard; see § 20.24.020). Numeric rows are in the Table 2A image at § 20.24.020.
• Special rules: ADUs are regulated separately by § 20.20.080; accessory structures and fences have their own subsections referenced from the site table.

Residential medium density — R-2

• Purpose / where it applies: Areas allowing two‑unit and some multi‑unit residential development; see designation list § 20.12.020.
• Typical permitted uses: Two‑family and limited multifamily per the Permitted Uses table § 20.12.040.
• Key dimensional standards: Site regulations in § 20.24.020; front setbacks and side/rear standards are provided in that table (front yard shows 15 ft in the table). See § 20.24.020 for the authoritative table.

Residential high density — R-3

• Purpose / where it applies: Higher density multifamily housing per the designation in § 20.12.020.
• Typical permitted uses: Multifamily dwellings and compatible public/quasi‑public uses per § 20.12.040.
• Key dimensional standards: Refer to § 20.24.020 Table 2A for maximum heights, setbacks and density numbers (the table shows the R‑3 numeric slots).

Residential towers / R-4 — R-4

• Purpose: Intended to allow taller/more intensive residential development where a use permit is applied; the code notes that site regulations not specified for R-4 are set through the use permit process. See note in § 20.24.020.
• Typical permitted uses: Multifamily residential subject to use permit and the underlying Table of Permitted Uses § 20.12.040.
• Key dimensional standards: Many R‑4 specifics are set on a project basis by the Planning and Zoning Commission (see § 20.24.020 notes).

Residential Hillside Development — RHD

• Purpose / where it applies: Albany Hill Area (Albany Hill Area Specific Plan). Additional hillside development controls apply; see § 20.24.040.
• Typical permitted uses: Residential development consistent with the Albany Hill Area Specific Plan and General Plan.
• Key dimensional standards and rules: The RHD has additional grading, setback, density, and open‑space rules; single‑family development on parcels under two acres follows site table § 20.24.020, while larger or multifamily RHD projects go through a planned unit development process § 20.100.060 and the specific RHD rules in § 20.24.040. Notable: the ordinance ties allowed densities to Measure K and requires grading permits in the RHD.

Solano Commercial — SC

• Purpose / where it applies: Commercial corridor centered on Solano Avenue (designation listed under § 20.12.020).
• Typical permitted uses: Retail, personal services, restaurants, offices as defined in the Land Use Classifications § 20.16.010 and the Permitted Uses table § 20.12.040.
• Key dimensional standards: Commercial development standards and overlay rules (where applicable) are found in § 20.24.030 and the site regulations table.

San Pablo Commercial — SPC

• Purpose / where it applies: San Pablo Avenue corridor; a Specific Plan area has been adopted and the code references San Pablo design guidelines and special parking rules. See § 20.12.020 and parking rules in § 20.28.030 (San Pablo Specific Plan parking maximums in Table 4).
• Typical permitted uses: Ground‑floor retail and service uses are specifically emphasized; certain auto‑oriented uses (service stations, drive‑throughs) are excluded from ground‑floor frontage within Commercial Node overlays (see § 20.24.030).
• Key dimensional standards: San Pablo-specific design standards and parking maximums are in § 20.24.030 and § 20.28.030.

Commercial Mixed Use — CMX

• Purpose: Areas intended for mixed commercial and residential uses. See § 20.12.020 and the Permitted Uses table.
• Typical permitted uses: Ground‑floor commercial and upper‑floor residential as listed in § 20.12.040.
• Key standards: Refer to the site regulations in § 20.24.020 and to the Commercial Node design rules in § 20.24.030 when CMX parcels fall inside a node.

Public Facilities — PF

• Purpose / where it applies: Public and quasi‑public buildings/facilities. See § 20.12.020 and § 20.24.020 for dimensional standards.

Waterfront — WF

• Purpose / where it applies: Waterfront district with its own parking schedule and development rules; parking schedule for WF is separate (Table 5B) in § 20.28.030.
• Typical permitted uses: Waterfront and sports‑related commercial, depending on the permitted‑uses table § 20.12.040.

Overlay districts (summary)

Albany uses overlay districts to add targeted rules on top of the base zoning. The general overlay framework and the list of overlays are at § 20.12.080. Key overlays include:

• :H Hillside Overlay — height, yard, and slope‑sensitive controls for Albany Hill; see § 20.12.080 and RHD rules § 20.24.040.
• :CN Commercial Node Overlay — pedestrian‑oriented rules and build‑to‑line guidance; see § 20.12.080 and design standards in § 20.24.030 (ground‑floor uses, massing, parking location).
• :P Professional Overlay — allows professional offices in residential areas subject to specific regulations and, in some cases, use permits; see § 20.24.030 for specific P‑district rules.
• :WC Watercourse Overlay — protects creek corridors; structures generally must be set back 20 ft from creek banks unless reduced by use permit; see § 20.24.030.
• :PR Planned Residential Overlay — used for large‑scale residential developments with special PUD procedures; see § 20.12.080 and related PUD sections (§ 20.100.060).

For visual limits and node boundaries, the ordinance says overlay districts “may be established … without being actually delineated on the Zoning Map,” so check the Zoning Map and overlay text before assuming a parcel is included — see § 20.12.080.

Quick decision‑relevant table

The ordinance contains larger tables; below are example, decision‑relevant excerpts pointing to the authoritative subsections. For the full numeric tables, consult the cited subsections.

Information Gaps (what I could not confirm in the retrieved materials)

• The full text of the Permitted Uses matrix (Table 1) was referenced but the retrieved file presented it as an image; the precise per‑use cells for every district are not reproduced in the retrieved plain text. See § 20.12.040 in the code for the authoritative table.
• The full numeric entries for Table 2A (all coverage/FAR numbers, some exact heights beyond the excerpts) were provided as an image in § 20.24.020; where I cite a typical number (for example 15 ft front setback) that number appears in the table image but the complete table data is not fully extracted in text form in the files I was given. See § 20.24.020 for the full table.
• The official, printable Zoning Map graphic (to confirm exact district boundaries for a particular parcel) is not included in the extracted text; the ordinance describes map boundary rules in § 20.12.030 but you must verify parcel coverage against the City’s official Zoning Map or with staff.
• Any parcel‑specific exceptions, negotiated PUD conditions, or recent zoning map amendments after the downloaded date should be verified with the Community Development Department (not found in the retrieved materials).

Checklist

An application (or pre‑submittal planning inquiry) for a new project in Albany should confirm and include the following (map each item to the ordinance where relevant):

• Confirm base zoning district from the City Zoning Map and boundary rules (verify under § 20.12.030).
• Check whether an overlay applies (H, CN, P, WC, PR); overlays add requirements (see § 20.12.080 and overlay subsections).
• Confirm permitted/conditional status for the proposed use using the Permitted Uses matrix (§ 20.12.040) and Land Use Classifications (§ 20.16.010).
• Demonstrate compliance with site regulations (setbacks, height, coverage) in § 20.24.020 (Table 2A) or identify required permit type (minor use permit, conditional use, etc.).
• Confirm parking requirements and any San Pablo Specific Plan parking maximums in § 20.28.030 and apply for exceptions only where the code permits. Link to local parking rules for details.
• Determine whether design review is required and follow the design review standards/procedures (§ 20.100.050 and referenced subsections).
• For projects in watercourse zones follow the creek setback and restoration considerations in § 20.24.030 (:WC).
• If proposing an ADU, follow the ADU subsection § 20.20.080 and note state ADU preemptions; Albany’s ADU rules are cross‑referenced from this chapter. See the ADU link below.
• For discretionary approvals, prepare findings required under the relevant permit subsection (e.g., use permits § 20.100.030, planned unit developments § 20.100.060).

(Helpful links embedded inline above: parking, design review, ADUs, development standards, overlay districts, nonconforming uses, variances and exceptions, and Title 24 for building code interactions.)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

Albany’s zoning code (Chapter 20) divides the city into named base zones (for example R-1, R-2, SPC, CMX, WF) with a table of permitted uses and a separate table of site regulations that set setbacks, heights and lot rules; targeted overlay districts (for example :H, :CN, :P, :WC, :PR) add extra rules. Always check the official Zoning Map and the Table of Permitted Uses (§ 20.12.040) plus the site regulations table (§ 20.24.020) to confirm what you can build on a parcel — and verify overlays and San Pablo Specific Plan rules for special limits like parking.

Source References

• Albany Municipal Code, Chapter 20 (Planning and Zoning): Title/purpose and adoption statements § 20.04.010–§ 20.04.020.
• Zoning district designations and Zoning Map: § 20.12.020 and § 20.12.030 (designation list and map rules).
• Permitted uses matrix referenced at § 20.12.040 (Table 1 — Permitted Land Uses by District).
• Land Use Classifications and use definitions: § 20.16.010 et seq.
• Table of Site Regulations by District (residential Table 2A and notes): § 20.24.020 (Table 2A; many numeric entries are presented as a table/image in the code).
• RHD (Hillside) rules and RHD-specific requirements: § 20.24.040.
• Overlay district descriptions (H, CN, P, WC, PR): § 20.12.080 and related overlay subsections.
• Commercial Node/Design standards, Professional and Watercourse overlay details: § 20.24.030 and professional overlay table references.
• Parking schedule and San Pablo Specific Plan parking maximums: § 20.28.030 (Table 4 for San Pablo residential parking maximums; Table 5 for nonresidential).
• Design review and permit procedures referenced inside Chapter 20 (see § 20.100.050, § 20.100.030, § 20.100.060 as cited in project‑type subsections).
• ADU controls referenced in code (accessory dwelling units cross‑referenced to § 20.20.080).

Related local topic pages (internal links used above): Albany zoning & planning overview, Albany Land Use, Albany Development Standards, Albany Parking, Albany Design Review, Albany Overlay Districts, Albany ADUs, Albany Nonconforming Uses, Albany Variances and Exceptions, California Building Standards Code.

Retrieved passages

• CBC § 20.04.020 (§ 20.04.020.) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.100.070.) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.020) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.20.100) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.20.090) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.030.) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.24.040.) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 66314 (§ 66314) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Albany Municipal Code, Chapter 20 (Planning and Zoning): Title/purpose and adoption statements **§ 20.04.010–§ 20.04.020**. (Chapter 20)
• Zoning district designations and Zoning Map: **§ 20.12.020** and **§ 20.12.030** (designation list and map rules). (§ 20.12.020)
• Permitted uses matrix referenced at **§ 20.12.040** (Table 1 — Permitted Land Uses by District). (§ 20.12.040)
• Land Use Classifications and use definitions: **§ 20.16.010** et seq. (§ 20.16.010)
• Table of Site Regulations by District (residential Table 2A and notes): **§ 20.24.020** (Table 2A; many numeric entries are presented as a table/image in the code). (§ 20.24.020)
• RHD (Hillside) rules and RHD-specific requirements: **§ 20.24.040**. (§ 20.24.040)
• Overlay district descriptions (H, CN, P, WC, PR): **§ 20.12.080** and related overlay subsections. (§ 20.12.080)
• Commercial Node/Design standards, Professional and Watercourse overlay details: **§ 20.24.030** and professional overlay table references. (§ 20.24.030)
• Parking schedule and San Pablo Specific Plan parking maximums: **§ 20.28.030** (Table 4 for San Pablo residential parking maximums; Table 5 for nonresidential). (§ 20.28.030)
• Design review and permit procedures referenced inside Chapter 20 (see **§ 20.100.050**, **§ 20.100.030**, **§ 20.100.060** as cited in project‑type subsections). (Chapter 20)
• ADU controls referenced in code (accessory dwelling units cross‑referenced to **§ 20.20.080**). (§ 20.20.080)
• Albany_ZoningCode.md

• Official Albany code library