Biggs — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page distills how land use is regulated under the City of Biggs Municipal Code, Title 14 (Zoning). Most day‑to‑day questions come down to four things: your base zoning district, whether your use is listed as permitted or conditional in the relevant use table, whether your site meets the district’s dimensional standards, and how cross‑cutting rules like parking and design review apply.

Biggs uses district‑specific chapters and citywide use tables to control where residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, public, and mixed uses can locate, at what intensity, and under what conditions. All land use entitlements must be consistent with the City’s General Plan (see BMC § 14.50.030) .

How Biggs organizes “what use goes where”

• Residential districts use the Residential Use Table in BMC Chapter 14.250 to define permitted and conditional uses for R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, and R‑MU zones (each district chapter points to § 14.250 for allowed uses) .
• Commercial districts (D‑MU, C‑G, C‑O) use the Commercial Use Table in BMC Chapter 14.300 to define what’s permitted outright and what needs a use permit (U) (§ 14.300.010–.030) .
• Industrial districts (M‑1, M‑2, A‑M) use the Industrial Use Table in BMC Chapter 14.350 (§ 14.350.010–.030) .
• Agricultural districts (A‑G, A‑C) rely on the Agricultural Use Table in BMC Chapter 14.200 (each district chapter points to § 14.200) .

If a use isn’t expressly listed, the city applies similarity criteria to decide if it “fits” your district (see § 14.10.050 Consistency of permitted or conditionally permitted uses) .

District‑by‑District Guide

Below is a practical, Biggs‑specific rundown for each district: purpose, typical allowed uses, and the dimensional rules that most often control site planning. Always read the full district chapter and the applicable use table.

R‑1 Single‑Family Residential (BMC Chapter 14.260)

• Purpose/density: Low‑density neighborhoods at 2.0–6.1 du/ac (§ 14.260.010) .
• Allowed uses: As listed in the Residential Use Table (§ 14.260.020, § 14.260.030) .
• Key standards: 15 ft front; 5 ft side; 10 ft street side; 15 ft rear; 5,445 sf min lot; 50 ft min width; 50% lot coverage; 35 ft max height (§ 14.260.040). Detached accessory structures capped at 20 ft; lot coverage may increase by 15% via CUP (§ 14.260.040 notes) .
• Notes: ADUs follow primary setbacks; see § 14.260.050 and Biggs’ ADUs page .

R‑2 Medium Density Residential (BMC Chapter 14.270)

• Purpose/density: 6.1–16.0 du/ac; single‑family detached and duplexes allowed by right; condos by CUP (§ 14.270.010) .
• Allowed uses: Per Residential Use Table (§ 14.270.020, .030) .
• Key standards: Same base yard depths as R‑1; 5,445 sf min lot; 60% coverage; 45 ft max height; stepping back +5 ft/floor where adjacent to R‑1 (§ 14.270.040) .
• Notes: ADUs per § 14.270.050 and Biggs’ ADU rules (§ 14.110.115 referenced) .

R‑3 High Density Residential (BMC Chapter 14.280)

• Purpose/density: 16.1–20.0 du/ac; broad residential types allowed (§ 14.280.010–.030) .
• Key standards: 15 ft front; 5 ft side; 10 ft street side; 15 ft rear; 7,200 sf min lot; 75% coverage; 45 ft max height; stepbacks near R‑1 (§ 14.280.040) . ADUs allowed (§ 14.280.050). Multifamily projects must provide 25% common open space (§ 14.280.060) .

R‑MU Residential Mixed‑Use (BMC Chapter 14.290)

• Purpose/density: Predominantly residential 6.0–16.0 du/ac, but allows commercial/office on same parcel (§ 14.290.010) .
• Key standards: 0 ft front; 0 ft side; 10 ft street side; 0 ft rear; 3,000 sf min lot; height 45 ft. Lot coverage/landscaping are set through design review (§ 14.290.040) .
• Notes: ADUs allowed (§ 14.290.050) .

D‑MU Downtown (B Street) Mixed‑Use (BMC Chapter 14.310)

• Purpose: Historic B Street core; residential allowed at 16.0–25.0 du/ac with active commercial uses (§ 14.310.010) .
• Allowed uses: Per Commercial Use Table (§ 14.310.020–.030) .
• Key standards: 0 ft front; 0 ft side; 10 ft street side; 0 ft rear; 3,000 sf min lot; 55 ft max height; lot coverage/landscaping via design review (§ 14.310.040) . Screening fence next to residential (§ 14.310.050) .
• Parking: D‑MU has its own parking ratios and alley‑served solutions (§ 14.130.100) .

C‑G General Commercial (BMC Chapter 14.320)

• Purpose: Broad commercial serving the city/region; residential allowed by CUP at 16.0–25.0 du/ac (§ 14.320.010) .
• Allowed uses: Per Commercial Use Table (§ 14.320.020–.030) .
• Key standards: 15 ft front; 0 ft side; 10 ft street side; 0 ft rear; 7,200 sf min lot; 75% coverage; 55 ft max height; up to 90% coverage by CUP; buffer when abutting residential (§ 14.320.040–.060) .
• Landscaping: Minimum 10% improved landscape accessible to the public (§ 14.320.050) .

C‑O Commercial Office (BMC Chapter 14.330)

• Purpose: Professional offices; limited retail (§ 14.330.010) .
• Allowed uses: Per Commercial Use Table (§ 14.330.020–.030) .
• Key standards: Street‑side yard 10 ft; rear yard 10 ft when abutting residential; 40 ft max height; coverage up to 90% by CUP; 6‑ft buffer fence next to residential (§ 14.330.040–.060) .

A‑G Agricultural General (BMC Chapter 14.210)

• Purpose: Long‑term agriculture; one single‑family home plus a second unit per legal parcel permitted; intensive ag uses by CUP (§ 14.210.010–.030) .
• Key standards: 20 ft front/street‑side; 25 ft side/rear; minimum lot size listed as 20 acres in § 14.210.040, but the purpose section notes minimum parcels “range from 10 acres.” Flag this discrepancy and confirm with the City (§ 14.210.010, .040) .
• Heights: 35 ft residential; 50 ft nonresidential (§ 14.210.040) .

A‑C Agricultural Commercial (BMC Chapter 14.220)

• Purpose: Commercial uses supporting agriculture (e.g., equipment sales, distribution) (§ 14.220.010–.030) .
• Key standards: Retrieved materials conflict: a version shows 30 ft front/street‑side, 0 ft side with conditions, 30 ft rear next to other zones; “no minimum lot size”; 75% coverage; 60 ft max height with residential adjacency cap at 30 ft (§ 14.220.040/§ 14.230.040 text and notes) . Another version shows 60% coverage and 50 ft height (§ 14.220.040) . Verify with the City.

A‑M Agricultural Industrial (BMC Chapter 14.230)

• Purpose: Ag‑industrial processing, fabrication, warehousing tied to ag (§ 14.230.010–.030) .
• Key standards: § 14.230.040 appears to repeat A‑C standards (“for lots within the A‑C district”), implying a drafting error. The included table mirrors A‑C metrics (front/street‑side 30 ft, “no minimum lot size,” 75% coverage, 60 ft height with adjacency limits) — verify which standards actually apply to A‑M (§ 14.230.040) .

M‑1 Light Industrial (BMC Chapter 14.360)

• Purpose: Light assembly/processing as a transition to sensitive uses (§ 14.360.010) .
• Allowed uses: Per Industrial Use Table (§ 14.360.020–.030) .
• Key standards: 25 ft front/street‑side (may reduce to 20 ft with added landscaping); 0 ft side/rear except where abutting residential; 65% coverage; 45 ft max height (§ 14.360.040) .

M‑2 General Industrial (BMC Chapter 14.370)

• Purpose: Heavy industrial; typically buffered by M‑1 or C‑G (§ 14.370.010–.030) .
• Key standards: 20 ft front/street‑side (may reduce to 15 ft with added landscaping); 0 ft side/rear except where abutting residential; “no minimum lot size”; 75% coverage; 45 ft height standard with exceptions up to 60 ft and tighter limits next to residential (§ 14.370.040–.060) .

P‑Q Public or Quasi‑Public (BMC Chapter 14.380)

• Purpose/uses: Public/institutional facilities; parks/trails; emergency shelters allowed (§ 14.380.020) .
• Key standards: 7,200 sf minimum lot; 25% maximum impervious coverage; height provision not shown in retrieved excerpts (§ 14.380.050–.060; § 14.380.070 not included here) .

PD Planned Development (Combining District, BMC Chapter 14.390)

• Purpose: Flexible master planning; can blend uses/densities if consistent with the General Plan and provide community benefit (§ 14.390.010–.030) .
• Key standards: At least 20% landscaped open space; 10% of site as consolidated social/recreation areas; the City may modify otherwise applicable standards through the PD process (§ 14.390.040–.060) .

Cross‑cutting rules you’ll touch

• Use permits: Conditional uses require a CUP with findings in § 14.60.030; conditions may address hours, access, landscaping, and more (§ 14.60.010–.040) .
• Unlisted uses: The City can find a proposed use consistent with a district if it’s similar in activities/impacts and fits the district purpose (§ 14.10.050(6)) .
• Parking: Citywide ratios and design standards apply, with special provisions downtown (§ 14.130.040; § 14.130.070–.100) and a D‑MU‑specific parking table (§ 14.130.100) . See Parking.
• Design review/landscaping: In D‑MU and R‑MU, lot coverage and landscaping are set through the design review process (§ 14.310.040; § 14.290.040) . Commercial districts require at least 10% improved public landscape (§ 14.320.050; § 14.330.050) and screening at residential edges (§ 14.320.060; § 14.330.060) . See Landscaping and Screening.
• ADUs: Residential districts allow ADUs per § 14.110.115 and each district’s ADU section; see the City’s ADUs page and background in California ADU law (§ 14.260.050; § 14.270.050; § 14.280.050; § 14.290.050) .
• Nonconforming uses: Change/expansion is restricted; discontinuance for a year terminates rights (§ 14.80.080–.100). Certain changes can be authorized by permit (§ 14.80.090). See Nonconforming Uses .

Core dimensional snapshots

Decision‑relevant minimums and maximums from district chapters. Always read the notes and adjacency rules in each section.

Where district rules interact with citywide standards (for example, setbacks plus fence heights), see Development Standards and Landscaping and Screening. Signs are regulated separately — see Signage. If your site lies in a special overlay (e.g., flood or historic), check Overlay Districts and Historic Preservation. Requests for relief follow Variances and Exceptions.

Checklist

• Confirm your base zoning district on the City map and read the district chapter (R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑MU, D‑MU, C‑G, C‑O, A‑G, A‑C, A‑M, M‑1, M‑2, P‑Q; PD if applicable).
• Verify your proposed use against the correct use table (Residential § 14.250; Commercial § 14.300; Industrial § 14.350; Agricultural § 14.200). If unlisted, prepare a similarity rationale per § 14.10.050(6) .
• Check dimensional standards: setbacks, lot width/area, coverage, and height for your district (see table above and district § .040 sections).
• Address adjacency rules next to residential (extra setbacks, buffers, screening) in C‑G, C‑O, M‑1, M‑2, and mixed‑use districts (§ 14.320.040–.060; § 14.330.040–.060; § 14.360.040; § 14.370.040; § 14.310.050) .
• Confirm parking ratios and design; use D‑MU downtown provisions if on B Street (§ 14.130.040; § 14.130.100) .
• Determine if design review is required; in D‑MU and R‑MU, lot coverage and landscaping are set through that process (§ 14.310.040; § 14.290.040) .
• If proposing an ADU/JADU, follow § 14.110.115 and district‑specific ADU sections, and cross‑check ADUs .
• If nonconforming, review limits on changes and discontinuance (§ 14.80.080–.100) .
• For conditional uses, prepare for CUP findings per § 14.60.030 and likely conditions (§ 14.60.010) .
• Check for and comply with any applicable overlay districts and historic preservation rules. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

Biggs assigns every property to a zoning district, and each district has a menu of allowed uses and hard numbers for setbacks, height, and lot size. Look up your district, check the right use table to see if your use is permitted or needs a use permit, make sure your building fits the district’s yards/height/coverage, and then confirm parking and design review requirements. Special rules apply in downtown (D‑MU), in mixed‑use zones (R‑MU), and when commercial/industrial sites touch homes. When the code is unclear or conflicting (notably some ag districts), verify with Planning.

Source References

• Biggs Municipal Code Title 14 Zoning: General plan consistency (§ 14.50.030) ; Similar use determination (§ 14.10.050(6)) .
• Residential districts: R‑1 (§ 14.260.010–.050) ; R‑2 (§ 14.270.010–.050) ; R‑3 (§ 14.280.010–.060) ; R‑MU (§ 14.290.010–.060) .
• Commercial districts: D‑MU (§ 14.310.010–.050) ; C‑G (§ 14.320.010–.060) ; C‑O (§ 14.330.010–.060) .
• Industrial districts: M‑1 (§ 14.360.010–.040) ; M‑2 (§ 14.370.010–.060) ; Industrial Use Table Ch. 14.350 .
• Agricultural districts: A‑G (§ 14.210.010–.040) ; A‑C (§ 14.220.010–.040) and A‑M (§ 14.230.010–.040) — conflicting excerpts; verify current codification .
• Public/quasi‑public: P‑Q (§ 14.380.010–.080) .
• PD Planned Development: (§ 14.390.010–.060) .
• Use permits: Ch. 14.60 (§ 14.60.010–.040) .
• Parking: § 14.130.040; § 14.130.070–.100 (including D‑MU table) .
• Nonconforming uses: Ch. 14.80 (§ 14.80.080–.100) .

Retrieved passages

• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 14.370.010.) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 14.380.080.) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 14.270.010.) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (Chapter 14.360.) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (chapter and) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 14.280.010.) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 14.280.040.) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Biggs Municipal Code Title 14 Zoning: General plan consistency (§ 14.50.030) ; Similar use determination (§ 14.10.050(6)) . (Title 14)
• Residential districts: R‑1 (§ 14.260.010–.050) ; R‑2 (§ 14.270.010–.050) ; R‑3 (§ 14.280.010–.060) ; R‑MU (§ 14.290.010–.060) . (§ 14.260.010)
• Commercial districts: D‑MU (§ 14.310.010–.050) ; C‑G (§ 14.320.010–.060) ; C‑O (§ 14.330.010–.060) . (§ 14.310.010)
• Industrial districts: M‑1 (§ 14.360.010–.040) ; M‑2 (§ 14.370.010–.060) ; Industrial Use Table Ch. 14.350 . (§ 14.360.010)
• Agricultural districts: A‑G (§ 14.210.010–.040) ; A‑C (§ 14.220.010–.040) and A‑M (§ 14.230.010–.040) — conflicting excerpts; verify current codification . (§ 14.210.010)
• Public/quasi‑public: P‑Q (§ 14.380.010–.080) . (§ 14.380.010)
• PD Planned Development: (§ 14.390.010–.060) . (§ 14.390.010)
• Use permits: Ch. 14.60 (§ 14.60.010–.040) . (§ 14.60.010)
• Parking: § 14.130.040; § 14.130.070–.100 (including D‑MU table) . (§ 14.130.040)
• Nonconforming uses: Ch. 14.80 (§ 14.80.080–.100) . (§ 14.80.080)
• Biggs_ZoningCode.md

• Official Biggs code library