Avalon Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Overview

Avalon’s land-use and zoning rules are codified in the City’s municipal zoning title and are implemented through a set of chapters that begin with the Zoning Map, residential and commercial zone articles, general development standards, coastal procedures, and specialized housing chapters (see § 9‑4.201, § 9‑5.101, § 9‑6.401, § 9‑7.101 and § 9‑8.101).
Avalon’s code groups rules by zone (residential, commercial/resort, public, etc.), then by general development standards (setbacks, height, coverage, parking), and then by topic chapters (coastal development, ADUs, density bonus, enforcement). § 9‑4.101 lists zones and the General Standards chapter governs citywide development rules.

How Avalon's code is organized

• Zoning maps and zone list: the City adopts a zoning map attachment and the list of zones is codified in § 9‑4.101 and map rules are at § 9‑4.201.
• Residential and other zone chapters: residential districts begin at Chapter 9‑5 (see § 9‑5.101 for the residential zone designations).
• Commercial / Resort / Public zones live in Chapter 9‑6, with the R/R (Resort/Recreation) zone and P (Public) zone containing their own permitted uses and standards (for example § 9‑6.401 and § 9‑6.501).
• Citywide standards (lot area, setbacks, landscaping, parking, signs, etc.) are in Chapter 9‑7 (General Standards of Development); minimum lot area rule is § 9‑7.201 and parking/site-plan rules are in § 9‑7.608.
• Administration, coastal procedures, site‑plan and discretionary processes are in Chapter 9‑8; coastal development permit rules and findings are at § 9‑8.103.
• Housing‑specific chapters (ADUs/JADUs, Density Bonus, Affordable Housing rules, and SB‑9 / two‑unit projects) appear in Chapter 9‑5 Article 6 (ADUs), Chapter 9‑11 (Affordable Housing / density bonus), and § 9‑5.701 (SB‑9 two‑unit projects).

(If you prefer to read the topic pages, use the internal links for city pages on development standards, parking, design review, overlay districts, ADUs, and California Building Standards Code.)

Zoning district families

Avalon’s code lists its districts explicitly and then provides per‑district permitted uses and development standards:

• Residential family (Chapter 9‑5): LD (Low Density Residential and Low Intensity Recreational), MD (Multiple Residential – Medium Density), HD (Multiple Residential – High Density), and L/M (Low & Moderate Income Housing) are designated in § 9‑5.101; each district has its own intent and principal permitted uses described in its article (for example § 9‑5.201 for LD).
• Affordable/priority housing: L/M is expressly intended for low and moderate income units and codified at § 9‑5.501 (including an identified housing‑opportunity site at § 9‑5.506 for Tremont Street).
• Commercial / special commercial / resort: C, SC, and R/R (Resort/Recreation) are enumerated and the R/R zone’s principal and conditional uses and special standards are in § 9‑6.401 → § 9‑6.404.
• Public and other: P (Public) and CE (Cemetery) are listed in § 9‑4.101 and § 9‑6.501 explains the P zone’s allowable public uses (schools, parks, parking lots, etc.).

For each district the code then points to the development standards chapter and special sub‑articles for additional rules (see § 9‑7.101 and cross‑references in each zone article).

Citywide development standards

Avalon splits objective development standards between zone‑specific rules and the General Standards chapter:

• The General Standards chapter controls baseline metrics: minimum lot area default (§ 9‑7.201 — 2,000 sq ft unless otherwise provided), maintenance and nuisance rules (§ 9‑7.103 – § 9‑7.104).
• Setbacks and side‑yard rules are spelled out in zone articles; for example HD zone side‑yard/setback rules and limits on zero‑lot lines are in § 9‑5.405(d) and the HD‑specific small‑lot standards are in § 9‑5.406.
• Height, lot coverage and floor‑area limits are zone‑by‑zone. Example: the Special “C” commercial entry lists maximum height 28 ft, lot coverage 80%, and floor area 140% in its development standards § 9‑6.304(d); Descanso Canyon (a resort sector) has its own height and coverage rules in § 9‑6.404 (e.g., up to seven stories in a limited sub‑area with strict shoreline setback rules).
• Parking: parking standards and required plans are enforced through the General Standards and zone articles — required parking dimensions and site‑plan submission rules are in § 9‑7.608, and several zone articles still leave “off‑street parking” amounts to Commission determination or specify one space per unit in some residential rules (see § 9‑7.608 and § 9‑5.406(f)).
  • First mention: see Avalon’s parking guidance at Avalon Parking.
• Landscaping, lighting and trash storage minimums are in Chapter 9‑7 and implemented zone‑by‑zone; for example interior landscaping minimums for parking and trash‑storage minima are referenced in § 9‑7.608 and zone articles.

If you want only the citywide standards quickly, use the development standards page.

Design & discretionary review

• Site plan review, conditional use permits, and coastal development permits are the primary discretionary processes: site‑plan rules direct applicants to Chapter 9‑8 Article 2 (Site Plan Review) and § 9‑7.608 requires site plans for required parking areas.
• Coastal development permits are required for development seaward of certain lines and the local process (findings, hearing, appeal mechanics to the City Council and potentially the Coastal Commission) is codified at § 9‑8.103 (local findings, consolidation with other reviews, and appeal deadlines).
• Many zone uses are conditional — e.g., R/R uses include a list of uses allowed only by conditional use permit in § 9‑6.403 — so check the zone article for whether an activity is permitted by right or requires a CUP.

For Avalon’s routine design‑review expectations see the local design review page.

Specific plans & overlays

• Avalon implements shore‑ and resort‑specific standards through the Local Coastal Land Use Plan and zone sub‑articles: Descanso Canyon’s special standards reference the Avalon Local Coastal Land Use Plan and impose unique height, lot coverage, floor‑area and shoreline setback rules (§ 9‑6.404).
• The code establishes a by‑right housing opportunity site and tailored rules for a Tremont Street site under § 9‑5.506 to meet housing‑element obligations (by‑right if statutory conditions are met).
• The municipal code contains no standalone, citywide “overlay districts” chapter in the retrieved materials; specific overlays (coastal area controls, small‑area resort rules, the Tremont housing opportunity standards) appear as targeted sub‑articles (see § 9‑6.404, § 9‑5.506, and § 9‑8.103).

(If you’re checking overlay tools, open overlay districts and historic preservation for local program pages; the code references historic resources in the two‑unit project rules as a constraint.)

Building permits & the review pathway (practical orientation)

• Basic rule: construction, expansion, or change of use must comply with zone‑standards and the General Standards — no building may be erected or altered unless it conforms to the applicable standards (§ 9‑7.102).
• Coastal cases: if a project requires a local coastal development permit, the Planning Commission first considers the permit and a public hearing is required; local findings consistent with the Local Coastal Plan are mandated (§ 9‑8.103).
• ADUs/JADUs: ADU creation is handled ministerially under the City’s ADU rules — the code allows various ADU types, requires a building permit and an ADU permit where applicable, sets height and setback minima for detached and attached ADUs, and prohibits short‑term rentals for ADUs (§ 9‑5.604, § 9‑5.605, and § 9‑5.608).
  • First mention: see the local ADU page at Avalon ADUs.
• SB‑9 / two‑unit projects and urban lot splits: Avalon adopted a local two‑unit project (SB‑9 style) rule at § 9‑5.701 and related urban lot‑split provisions; those chapters set objective size limits (e.g., each new primary dwelling limited to ≤ 800 sq ft and ≥ 500 sq ft), setbacks, parking exceptions, demolition caps, owner‑occupancy rules, and fire‑safety prerequisites (§ 9‑5.701 and urban lot split subparts). Approvals for two‑unit projects are ministerial when the objective criteria are met.
• Applications & appeals: Planning Commission decisions may be appealed to the City Council under the appeal procedures in the coastal/administration chapters; coastal actions have additional notice and Coastal Commission appeal timelines (§ 9‑8.103(f)).

If you are preparing an application, expect (1) zoning verification vs. the Zoning Map (§ 9‑4.201), (2) conformity check with Chapter 9‑7 standards (§ 9‑7.102), (3) ADU or SB‑9 ministerial checklists where applicable (§ 9‑5.604 / § 9‑5.701), and (4) possible coastal review (§ 9‑8.103).

State housing law in Avalon (how ADUs / SB‑9 / density bonus interact)

• ADUs: Avalon’s ADU rules implement state ADU law while adding local objective details — the code explicitly allows converted, limited detached, and multifamily conversions, requires ministerial ADU permits and building permits, and sets detached‑ADU height limits (base 16 ft with limited exceptions), attached ADU limits (up to 25 ft or underlying zone limit), and parking exemptions consistent with state law (§ 9‑5.604, § 9‑5.605, § 9‑5.608).
  • First mention: see California ADU law and Avalon’s ADU page at Avalon ADUs.
• SB‑9 / two‑unit projects and urban lot splits: Avalon codified ministerial two‑unit projects under § 9‑5.701 (SB‑9‑style) and a set of urban lot‑split standards (size limits, required landscaping, parking exceptions, fire‑mitigation certificates, deed restrictions and anti‑STR covenants). The two‑unit project provisions are objective and ministerial when criteria are satisfied; the urban lot split has specific parcel‑size and conveyance rules and deed‑restriction requirements.
• Density bonus: Avalon’s density‑bonus program implements state density‑bonus law (Government Code §§ 65915–65918) — see § 9‑11.105 and administrative requirements for recorded covenants and occupancy rules in § 9‑11.106/ § 9‑11.107.
• Rent‑control / short‑term rental rules: the municipal code does not show a citywide rent‑control ordinance in the retrieved text, but it does impose short‑term‑rental limits in specific contexts (e.g., density‑bonus projects cannot rent for under 30 days § 9‑11.107 and transient rental licensing for short stays is regulated under § 9‑6.602). If you need confirmation about rent‑control, verify with the City Clerk.

Information Gaps / What to verify with City staff

• The code excerpts retrieved are comprehensive for zoning and housing‑items, but the actual Zoning Map attachment referenced at § 9‑4.201 is an exhibit attachment (map) not included in the text excerpts; you will need the official map to confirm property‑specific zoning.
• Some administrative forms, local design‑guidelines, and the Planning Department permit checklist (fees, submittal formats, current processing times) are administrative materials outside the ordinance text — contact Planning or the City Clerk for those. (The ordinance defines what the City may require but not the up‑to‑date fee/resolution numbers.)

Source References

• Avalon Municipal Zoning / Development Code (selected excerpts): see the code provisions cited above — e.g., § 9‑4.101, § 9‑4.201, § 9‑5.101, § 9‑5.201, § 9‑5.506, § 9‑5.604, § 9‑5.605, § 9‑5.608, § 9‑5.701, § 9‑6.401, § 9‑6.404, § 9‑7.101, § 9‑7.201, § 9‑7.608, § 9‑8.101, § 9‑8.103, § 9‑11.105, § 9‑11.107.