Alhambra Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Alhambra’s land-use rules are codified as the Alhambra Zoning Code (Title 23); the code sets district rules, development standards, discretionary review procedures, and special-plan/overlay regimes that implement the General Plan. The code organizes base zones (residential, commercial, employment, public), several overlays (for downtown and planned developments), and specific-plan districts; it also incorporates state housing laws (density bonus, ADU rules) where applicable. Read this page as a practical map to the City’s rules: where to find the district list and tables, what the major numeric limits are, how design and permit review fits together, and where state housing law shows up in the local text. The City’s Title is explicitly identified as Title 23 of the Alhambra Municipal Code (the “Alhambra Zoning Code”) in § 23.01.010.

How Alhambra's code is organized

• Title and purpose: the zoning ordinance is adopted as Title 23; see § 23.01.010 for the title and § 23.01.030 for the code purpose and how it implements the General Plan.
• Districts, specific plans, overlays: the map and district list are collected under § 23.03.010 and Table 23.03.010 (which establishes base zoning districts, specific plan districts, and overlay districts). Use the City’s base-zone table to identify the applicable rules for any parcel.
• Numeric standards and how they are presented: development standards are presented in zone-specific tables (for example, residential tables in Table 23.04.030 and commercial/mixed-use tables in Table 23.05.030); dimensional rules (how to measure height, stories, setbacks, FAR) are in the definitions / measurement chapter at § 23.02.030.
• Review authorities & procedures: the code sets review authorities (Design Review Board, Planning Commission, City Council, Director) in Chapter 23.30 and summarizes decision/appeal paths in Table 23.30.070; common application procedures are in Chapter 23.31.

(First internal links: the City’s district list / zoning map is summarized under the Alhambra Zoning page; planning goals and land-use mapping live with Alhambra Land Use.)

Zoning district families

The code divides the city into base zones; the table in § 23.03.010 lists the zone symbols and their general-plan intent. Key district families (all bolded here as they appear in the code) are:

• Residential
  • RL (Residential Low Density), RM (Residential Medium Density), RH (Residential High Density). Development standards for these residential districts appear in Table 23.04.030 (see § 23.04.030).
• Commercial & mixed-use
  • CBD (Central Business District), EMC (East Main Commercial), CMU (Commercial Mixed-Use), AC (Automotive Commercial). Standards and maximum densities/FARs are in Table 23.05.030 (see § 23.05.030).
• Employment / industrial
  • PO (Professional Office) and I (Industrial). See the base-zone tables in § 23.03.010 and related chapters for dimensional requirements.
• Public / semi‑public
  • PF (Public Facilities) and OS (Open Space); development standards for these districts are shown in Table 23.07.030 (see § 23.07.030).
• Specific Plan and overlays
  • SP (Specific Plan) and overlays such as -WMC (West Main Corridor Master Plan) and -PD (Planned Development overlay). Specific plans govern where adopted (see § 23.08.010–§ 23.08.020) and overlays add or replace rules on top of the base zone (see the -WMC chapter § 23.10.010 and PD rules in Chapter 23.11).

(See the Alhambra Development Standards page for where those numeric tables are presented in the code.)

Citywide development standards (how to read the numbers)

• How sizes and dimensions are measured: definitions for lot width/depth, floor area, FAR, lot coverage, number of stories and height measurement live in § 23.02.030; read these rules first because every zone’s table relies on the measurement rules there.
• Representative numeric caps you will see in the tables:
  • Maximum FAR 3.0 and maximum building height 75 ft in CBD (Table 23.05.030 / § 23.05.030).
  • In many low-density residential areas the table shows minimum front setback 25 ft (see Table 23.04.030 / § 23.04.030).
  • Public/institutional zones show FAR and height limits keyed to proximity to residential districts (Table 23.07.030 / § 23.07.030).
• Parking: the code uses a dedicated chapter for parking standards; accessory dwelling unit (ADU) parking rules are explicitly relaxed in the ADU chapter (one required space; tandem and driveway stalls allowed) and ADU parking interacts with Chapter 23.20 parking standards — see the ADU parking rules at § 23.22.040(G) for the ADU-specific approach. (See also the City’s Alhambra Parking page.)
• Lot coverage, open-space and internal circulation requirements for multi-unit and mixed-use projects are set within the zone tables and the mixed-use/commercial chapter; look to Table 23.05.030 and Table 23.04.030 for the per-zone lot-coverage and open-space figures.

Design review & discretionary approvals

• Design review: required in many contexts (for new residential structures and most exterior changes visible from public streets, and for nearly all new non-residential buildings). The applicability and scope are stated in § 23.33.020 and the Design Review Board procedures and criteria are in § 23.33.030–§ 23.33.070. The code requires design review to be submitted with the underlying permit application and generally requires the Design Review Board to act within 30 days after a complete application is accepted.
• Discretionary entitlements and review authorities: conditional use permits, variances, minor/major use permits, and appeals are organized in Chapter 23.30 and summarized in Table 23.30.070 (for example, Planning Commission decides conditional use permits; the City Council hears appeals). Refer to § 23.30.030 and Table 23.30.070 for the full decision ladder.
• Planned developments and specific plans: the -PD overlay lets the City craft site-specific standards; a PD overlay is adopted by ordinance and processed as an amendment to the zoning map (see Chapter 23.11 and § 23.11.020–§ 23.11.050). Specific plans govern development within their boundaries and where they are silent the title’s provisions apply (see § 23.08.010–§ 23.08.020).

(First natural mention of Alhambra Design Review appears above.)

Specific plans & overlays — what to watch for in Alhambra

• Adopted specific plans govern uses and standards inside their boundaries. The code says: “once adopted, a specific plan shall govern all use and development of properties within the bounds of that specific plan,” and if the specific plan is silent the Title’s provisions apply — see § 23.08.010–§ 23.08.020.
• The code includes the West Main Corridor Master Plan (‑WMC) overlay (Chapter 23.10); all development in that overlay must be consistent with the WMC master plan’s goals and design requirements (see § 23.10.030).
• The -PD Planned Development overlay is used when the City and applicant want customized standards (minimum area, density rules, procedures and required findings are in Chapter 23.11).

(See Alhambra Overlay Districts for clickable maps and overlay boundaries.)

Building permits & the review path (practical orientation)

• Administrative vs. discretionary: small permits and administrative actions are handled by staff/Director; discretionary permits (use permits, variances, PD approvals) go to Planning Commission or City Council depending on the permit and appeal path. The summary Table 23.30.070 shows which body is the review authority and appeal body for each application type. See Table 23.30.070 (Chapter 23.30) for the decision matrix.
• Design review timing: where design review is required, it must be filed with the underlying permit; the Design Review Board will make its determination (generally within 30 days) before the final determination on the other permits (see § 23.33.040–§ 23.33.050).
• ADUs and small housing: the ADU chapter establishes staff-level processing for accessory units (see § 23.22.040 and the Table in 23.30.070 that confirms ADUs are administratively handled by the Director under the state ADU procedures). ADU permits generally proceed at the Director/staff level and can be issued concurrently with a building permit if they meet objective standards.
• Plan check & building code: after land-use entitlements and design review are cleared, projects proceed to building permit plan check under the California building standards (Title 24). The code makes clear that building-permit work must also comply with the Building Code — consult the California Building Standards Code during plan check.

State housing law in Alhambra

Summary: Alhambra’s code expressly incorporates key state housing rules (density bonus, ADU streamlined rules) and defers to state law where required; some state policies (e.g., SB 9 lot-split/duplex provisions) do not appear by name in the retrieved materials and should be verified with the City planner for current local implementation.

• ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units)
  • Local ADU rules are in § 23.22.040: the City allows ADUs with at least four-foot side and rear setbacks, counts ADU height as up to two stories / 25 ft, allows one parking space for an ADU (tandem and driveway spaces accepted), and states that state ADU exemptions (Gov’t Code § 66323) apply where relevant. See § 23.22.040 for the full set of ADU rules and how state code is implemented. (See the local ADU summary on Alhambra ADUs.)
• Density bonus and incentives
  • The City adopted an Affordable Housing / Density Bonus chapter (Chapter 23.14) to implement state Density Bonus Law (Gov. Code § 65915). The code confirms qualifying projects are eligible for density increases and incentives consistent with state law; see § 23.14.010–§ 23.14.040.
• SB 9 (ministerial duplex/lot-split rules)
  • SB 9 and other recent ministerial lot-split/duplex laws are state-level; the retrieved Alhambra documents do not explicitly show an SB 9 implementing section by number in the files provided. For SB 9 applicability and how the City processes such ministerial lot splits/duplex approvals, consult the Community Development Department or confirm with staff; the code does make clear that state law and the General Plan control where conflicts arise (§ 23.01.040).

(See the state-law primer at California housing laws and the dedicated ADU resource at California ADU law.)

Practical tips — what to check first on any project in Alhambra

1. Confirm the parcel’s base zone and any overlay/specific-plan coverage via the zoning map and § 23.03.010 / Table 23.03.010.
2. Read the measurement rules in § 23.02.030 before applying numeric table values (stories, height, FAR, lot coverage are defined there).
3. Use the zone’s development table (residential Table 23.04.030 or commercial Table 23.05.030) to find setbacks, FAR, heights, and maximum densities.
4. Check whether design review is required under § 23.33.020 and submit design review with the permit application (timing rules in § 23.33.040).
5. For housing projects claiming a density bonus or other incentives, read Chapter 23.14 and attach the necessary documentation to the application.

Information gaps / verification items

• SB 9–specific handling (ministerial lot splits and duplex approvals) is not explicitly visible in the retrieved files; verify current local implementation with the Planning Division. Not found in retrieved materials.

Source References

• Alhambra Municipal Code — Alhambra Zoning Code (Title 23). See Title identification and purpose at § 23.01.010 and § 23.01.030.
• Table of base zones, specific plans, overlays: § 23.03.010 / Table 23.03.010.
• Residential development standards (Table 23.04.030 / § 23.04.030).
• Commercial & mixed-use standards (Table 23.05.030 / § 23.05.030).
• Public and semi-public standards (Table 23.07.030 / § 23.07.030).
• Design review (Chapter 23.33; §§ 23.33.010–23.33.070).
• Specific plans and overlays (Chapters 23.08, 23.10 and 23.11).
• Planning authorities, decision matrix and appeal paths (Table 23.30.070 / Chapter 23.30).
• ADU rules and ADU parking/height/setback specifics (ADU chapter, § 23.22.040).
• Density bonus and incentives (Chapter 23.14, §§ 23.14.010–23.14.040).