Auburn — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page distills how Auburn’s zoning ordinance regulates what uses are allowed on land and in buildings, by district. The controlling law is Chapter 159, the Zoning Law of the City of Auburn, which sets up base districts, overlays, use permissions, and dimensional standards, with detailed numeric rules in Appendix A and cross-references to citywide standards like parking and design review. The sections and tables below cite the exact Auburn code sections so you can verify your parcel’s entitlements on the city’s zoning map and ordinance.

How Auburn organizes land use

• Chapter 159 establishes zoning districts and points to Appendix A for numeric standards like height, setbacks, lot coverage, lot area and required parking per district. The city’s zoning map is the official source of where each district applies.

• Base-district use permissions and conditional-use triggers are in §§159.030–159.047. Citywide procedures for use permits, nonconformities, and variances also apply. See the overview of Auburn Zoning for context.

• Numeric development standards live in Appendix A and are enforceable alongside district use lists. You’ll also need to check applicable Auburn Development Standards and any overlays.

• Some areas carry special overlays like the Airport Industrial Design Control (AI-DC) and the Mineral Extraction Combining District (ME). See Auburn Overlay Districts.

• If the parcel lacks a zoning designation (rare), it defaults to R-1 until rezoned, per §159.018.

Key district standards at a glance

These are selected, decision-relevant Appendix A standards. Always confirm the current Appendix A table before committing to a design.

Notes: “ii/iv” are Appendix A footnotes; verify applicability on your site. See parking for citywide ratios and any district-specific adjustments.

District-by-district land use

R-1 — Single-Family Residential

• Purpose and character: Low-density residential with typical civic and small care uses; manufactured homes allowed when compliant.
• Typical permitted uses: One single-family dwelling; public facilities (schools, parks); up to 6 unrelated persons as a non-profit group; small licensed care/day-care homes up to 6; large family day-care per §§159.390 et seq.; small residential care; permanent manufactured homes per §159.055; short-term rentals per §§159.510 et seq.
• Use permit (CUP) examples: Privately owned schools or clubs; churches and rest homes; one guest house; home occupations; boardinghouses (≤15 persons on parcels ≥1 acre); bed-and-breakfasts per §§159.540 et seq.
• Key dimensional standards: See Appendix A and the table above.
• Where it applies: As mapped on the city zoning map; newly annexed/unclassified land defaults to R-1.

R-2 — Two-Family Residential (Duplex)

• Purpose and character: Duplex districts layering on all R-1 permissions.
• Typical permitted uses: All R-1 uses plus duplex dwellings per §159.016.
• CUP examples: Same pattern as R-1 where listed; verify case-by-case. Not found in retrieved materials.
• Dimensional standards: See Appendix A; note special rear-yard screening if abutting R-1 (wall and 5 ft landscape buffer).

R-3 — Medium Density Multiple-Family

• Typical permitted uses: All R-1 and R-2 uses; multifamily; rest/outpatient nursing homes up to 15; supportive and transitional housing.
• CUP examples: Hospitals; clinics and professional offices; rooming houses up to 15; nursery schools/child care centers; large residential care facilities.
• Dimensional standards: See Appendix A (special rear-yard screening when abutting R-1).

C-1 — Neighborhood Commercial

• Character: Neighborhood-serving retail and services; some residential by CUP.
• Typical permitted uses: Broad retail/service list (e.g., bakeries, restaurants, groceries, pharmacies, banks, salons, hardware, furniture, bookstores, newsstands), plus bed-and-breakfast per §§159.540 et seq., and certain food preparation uses.
• CUP examples: Apartments/rental housing; bowling alleys; drive-ins; gas stations; living quarters tied to an established use; nurseries/greenhouses; taverns; theaters; churches; outdoor vending and larger outdoor seating per thresholds.
• Dimensional standards: See Appendix A and the table above.

C-2 — Central Business

• Character: Downtown-intensity commercial; allows apartments as a permitted use.
• Typical permitted uses: All C-1 uses plus extensive downtown retail/services, hotels/motels, apartments/rental housing, short-term rentals, and professional offices.
• CUP examples: Auto repair/service stations; cleaning plants; dairies/creameries; electrical/plumbing shops; motorcycle sales; printing/sheet metal; animal hospitals; large residential care.
• Dimensional standards: See Appendix A (notably 0 ft setbacks and up to 100% lot coverage; special parking ratios for reconstruction).
• Historic note: Projects in historic areas may trigger Auburn Historic Preservation review; confirm via Chapter 159 index.

C-2A — Central Business District-A

• Uses: All C-1 and C-2 uses; the section directs you to the C-2 use list.
• Standards: See Appendix A (not retrieved in part; verify). Not found in retrieved materials.

C-3 — Regional Commercial

• Uses: All C-1 and C-2 uses (regional-scale retail and services).
• Standards: See Appendix A; selected values are in the table above.

C-3-ES — Regional Commercial – Emergency Shelter

• Uses: All C-3 uses plus emergency shelters.
• Special standards for shelters: Max 25 occupants; parking of 1 space per staff + 1 per 4 residents; on-site management/security; required facilities (intake area, common area, laundry, showers, secure storage, lighting, phones).

OB — Office Building

• Typical permitted uses: Business/professional offices; beauty salons (UP required when abutting residential); B&Bs; CUP for animal hospitals/clinics (except OB/R-3 combining) and for living quarters with an established office use.
• Standards: Appendix A governs; verify parcel-specific footnotes. Not found in retrieved materials.

HS — Highway Service

• Uses: Hotels, motels, service stations, restaurants, retail stores, car washes, laundromats, nurseries, public buildings, drive-ins, and office buildings are listed as “by use permit” in HS.
• Standards: Appendix A governs. Not found in retrieved materials.

M-1 — Industrial Park

• Typical permitted uses: Broad light-industrial/manufacturing list (e.g., machine shops, cabinet shops, printing, warehousing, research labs, laundries, design shops) and some commercial by CUP.
• Standards: Appendix A and §159.016 apply.

M-2 — Industrial

• Typical permitted uses: All M-1 uses plus heavier industrial like aggregate storage, bulk petroleum storage, ready-mix plants, sawmills, truck terminals, welding; CUP for bitumen plants, wrecking yards, smelting, slaughterhouses, dumps.
• Standards: Appendix A and §159.016 apply.

M-L — Light Manufacturing

• Typical permitted uses: Light industrial uses (with lists of allowed and CUP uses), including retail service uses appropriate to the district; some uses require compliance with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan in the Airport Influence Area.
• Extra development controls: Outdoor storage and trash enclosure screening, buffer-yard screening and wall/landscape requirements where abutting residential; the Planning Commission can waive certain standards after hearing. See also Auburn Landscaping and Screening.

A-1 — Exclusive Agricultural and AR — Agricultural Residential

• A-1 permitted uses: All R-1 uses plus agriculture and related activities (animal husbandry, apiaries/aviaries, crop/tree farming, stables, substations); CUP for feed/animal sales yards, fertilizer plants, agricultural processing plants, kennels.
• AR permitted uses: All A-1 uses.

S — Special Public Service

• Uses: All A-1 uses plus airports/heliports, country clubs, driving ranges, golf courses, hospitals, public uses/buildings, rodeo facilities.

AI-DC — Airport Industrial Design Control

• Uses: Airport facilities, aircraft-related enterprises, indoor/outdoor recreation, and permitted light industrial uses (per §159.045(B)), all subject to the adopted Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP). Separate “Airport Zoning” rules (Subchapter §§159.140–159.151) define height and airspace protections.

OSC — Open Space and Conservation

• Application: Applied to properties to be kept generally open or used for permanent open uses (parks/greenbelts), with conservation and hazard-protection purposes stated in the section.

Other use frameworks that can change what’s allowed

• Planned Unit Developments (PUD): Auburn provides intensity/open space/coverage charts and allows residential and certain commercial/manufacturing/airport uses within PUDs via use permit; see §§159.080–159.097 for permitted uses, intensity factors, and approval criteria.
• ADUs and “Second Units”: Auburn has a dedicated subchapter (§§159.325–159.329). Start at our Auburn ADUs page for plain-English guidance, then confirm local sections.
• Density Bonus: See Residential Density Bonus (§§159.335–159.342) for incentives and concessions on qualifying housing; standards and thresholds are detailed in the subchapter.

Process pointers you’ll likely touch

• Use permits: If your use is listed as “subject to approval of a use permit,” follow §§159.405–159.409. See our page on Auburn Variances and Exceptions for relief tools if strict standards create hardship.
• Nonconforming: Existing nonconforming uses/buildings are covered in §§159.240–159.246; see our Auburn Nonconforming Uses page.
• Design review: Many new commercial/industrial buildings and some façade/site work require Auburn Design Review per §§159.110–159.125.
• Signs: Business identity and site signage are regulated in §§159.185–159.198; see Auburn Signage.
• Overlays and airport: Projects in airport influence areas must meet ALUCP consistency and “Airport Zoning” limits (§§159.140–159.151). See Auburn Overlay Districts.

Checklist

• Confirm your parcel’s base district and any overlay on the city zoning map (§159.017) and note if §159.018 applies.
• Verify your proposed activity is a “permitted use” in your district or if it needs a use permit (see §§159.030–159.047).
• Check Appendix A for height, setback, lot width/frontage, lot coverage, and parking minimums; apply relevant footnotes.
• Cross-check citywide parking provisions (Off-Street Parking and Loading §§159.165–159.175).
• Determine if design review applies (§§159.110–159.125).
• If in AI-DC or within the Airport Influence Area, confirm ALUCP consistency and airport height/airspace rules (§§159.140–159.151; §159.043).
• If nonconforming, understand limits in §§159.240–159.246 and whether modifications are allowed.
• For residential projects, assess eligibility under Density Bonus §§159.335–159.342 and whether ADU rules (§§159.325–159.329) affect yield.
• If your use is CUP-required, prepare findings and submittals per §§159.405–159.409.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Auburn assigns every property to a zoning district, which tells you what land uses are allowed outright and which need a use permit. Each district also has its own height, setback, lot coverage, and parking rules in Appendix A. Start by checking your district on the zoning map, then look up its use list and numeric standards. If your site is in a special overlay (like the airport area) or proposes a conditional use, extra steps apply.

Source References

• Chapter 159 “Zoning Law of the City of Auburn” — Title and purpose, definitions, Planning Commission powers: §§159.001–159.006.
• Establishment of districts, map, default R-1, and Appendix A reference: §§159.015–159.018; §159.016.
• District use lists: R-1 §159.030; R-2 §159.031; R-3 §159.032; C-1 §159.033; C-2 §159.034; C-3 §159.035; M-1 §159.036; M-2 §159.037; A-1 §159.038; AR §159.039; S §159.040; OB §159.041; HS §159.042; AI-DC §159.043; OSC §159.044; M-L §159.045; C-2A §159.046; C-3-ES §159.047.
• Appendix A: District Regulations (heights, setbacks, lot area/coverage, parking): Appendix A table.
• Off-Street Parking and Loading: §§159.165–159.175.
• Design Review: §§159.110–159.125.
• Nonconforming Uses and Buildings: §§159.240–159.246.
• Use Permits: §§159.405–159.409.
• Airport Zoning: §§159.140–159.151.
• Residential Density Bonus: §§159.335–159.342.
• Second Residential Units: §§159.325–159.329.
• Mineral Extraction Combining District (ME): §§159.370–159.377.

Retrieved passages

• Auburn Zoning Code (Chapter Provisions) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 9-4.714) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (Section 159.180) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 50675.2) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 159.405) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 159.390) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 159.015.) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 9-4.507) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 9-4.505) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 9-4.508) High relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 9-4.704) Medium relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 159.016) Medium relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (§ 159.390) Medium relevance show source text
• Auburn Zoning Code (section may) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Chapter 159 “Zoning Law of the City of Auburn” — Title and purpose, definitions, Planning Commission powers: §§159.001–159.006. (Chapter 159)
• Establishment of districts, map, default R-1, and Appendix A reference: §§159.015–159.018; §159.016. (§159.015)
• District use lists: **R-1** §159.030; **R-2** §159.031; **R-3** §159.032; **C-1** §159.033; **C-2** §159.034; **C-3** §159.035; **M-1** §159.036; **M-2** §159.037; **A-1** §159.038; **AR** §159.039; **S** §159.040; **OB** §159.041; **HS** §159.042; **AI-DC** §159.043; **OSC** §159.044; **M-L** §159.045; **C-2A** §159.046; **C-3-ES** §159.047. (§159.030)
• Appendix A: District Regulations (heights, setbacks, lot area/coverage, parking): Appendix A table.
• Off-Street Parking and Loading: §§159.165–159.175. (§159.165)
• Design Review: §§159.110–159.125. (§159.110)
• Nonconforming Uses and Buildings: §§159.240–159.246. (§159.240)
• Use Permits: §§159.405–159.409. (§159.405)
• Airport Zoning: §§159.140–159.151. (§159.140)
• Residential Density Bonus: §§159.335–159.342. (§159.335)
• Second Residential Units: §§159.325–159.329. (§159.325)
• Mineral Extraction Combining District (ME): §§159.370–159.377. (§159.370)
• Auburn_ZoningCode.md

• Official Auburn code library