Calexico — Overlay Districts

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Calexico's zoning code (Title 17) uses overlay districts to layer additional objectives, standards, or allowable uses on top of a property's base zone. The main overlay types in Calexico are the PD (Planned Development overlay), the SP (Specific Plan overlay), and the Cannabis overlay zone; each has its own purpose, procedures, and development standards that modify or supplement the base zone rules in Title 17. For how overlays interact with the base zone classifications and the official zoning map, see the city's zoning summary and base zone listing in § 17.01.140.

(If you are preparing an application, also check the city's pages on zoning, land use, and development standards because overlays explicitly reference and modify those rules.)

How Calexico treats overlays (short primer)

• Overlays are additive: an overlay identifies additional controls (uses, standards, development plans) that apply on top of the base zone. The official zoning map shows overlays by a suffix (for example, the letters SP are placed after the base zone on the map). § 17.09.370(B) explains the map notation and incorporation of the development plan.
• Many overlays require a project-specific development plan, public review, and/or conditional use permits; others (like the cannabis overlay) set explicit use and distance limits. See the district-specific summaries below for exact references.

District-by-district breakdown

PD — Planned Development overlay (PD)

• Purpose: The PD overlay is intended to permit greater design flexibility and coordinated site planning than standard zoning, to achieve efficient land use and higher amenity levels. § 17.09.210 states these goals.
• Typical permitted uses: The PD's uses are generally the planned development itself and uses allowed in the underlying R, C, or I zones; the PD is subject to a conditional use permit. § 17.09.220.
• Key dimensional and site standards (baseline / typical): The PD establishes minimums unless a development plan provides otherwise. Typical baseline standards include 10 ft front yard setback, 5 ft side yards, 10 ft street-side setback, 10 ft rear yard, 35 ft (or 2 stories) height limit within 50 ft of exterior boundaries and up to 50 ft (or 4 stories) elsewhere, and 50% maximum site coverage (or maximum of the base zone, whichever is greater). See § 17.09.230 for the table of standards.
• Process and where it applies: PD designation and development plan approval follow the procedures in Chapter 17.01 (change of zone/development review). The PD overlay appears on the official zoning map as a special purpose zone. § 17.09.230 and § 17.01.140.
• Practical guidance: Expect a required development plan and a conditional use permit. Use the city's design review procedures and the design review page early in your pre-application conversations.

SP — Specific Plan overlay (SP)

• Purpose: The SP overlay is designed for large-scale, comprehensive planning to implement General Plan goals while allowing flexibility and detailed phasing, open-space and circulation planning, and site-specific rules (§ 17.09.310).
• Typical permitted uses: The SP's allowable uses are those established in the approved development plan text and may incorporate base-zone uses by reference; existing uses present when the SP is adopted are typically grandfathered into the plan unless the plan text states otherwise. § 17.09.320.
• Key dimensional and site standards: An SP normally requires a minimum area of 50 contiguous acres (though the city council can reduce this), delegates many lot-level standards to the development plan (often no minimum yard or lot-size requirements unless the plan sets them), and sets maximum heights such as 35 ft (or 2 stories) within 50 ft of zone boundaries and up to 50 ft (or 4 stories) inside the SP, unless the development plan modifies those standards. See § 17.09.330 and § 17.09.340 for performance standards.
• Required submissions and review: SP applications require a pre-application consultation, a detailed development plan and supporting reports (boundary survey, topography, land-use plan, circulation plan, market/housing analyses when requested), public hearings, and city council adoption. See § 17.09.350, § 17.09.360, and § 17.09.370.
• How the SP controls base-zone rules: The development plan text may establish site-specific use lists, densities, and standards and may supersede base-zone minimums by clearly stating alternatives (for instance, eliminating minimum usable open space for individual lots unless the SP requires it). § 17.09.320 and § 17.09.330.

Cannabis overlay zone (named "cannabis overlay zone")

• Purpose and definition: The code establishes a discrete cannabis overlay zone that geographically confines where commercial cannabis activities may be sited and imposes specialized rules to protect public health and safety. The intent and definitions are in § 17.11.1010—17.11.1020.
• Where it applies (explicit parcel/area): The ordinance defines the Cannabis overlay zone as approximately 354.02 acres bounded by railroad tracks (W), Adler Canal (N), West Van de Graff & Scaroni (E), Weakley & Camacho (S), and also includes a specific parcel at 120 W. Cole Blvd (APN 058-020-019-000). This geographic definition is in § 17.11.1020.
• Typical permitted uses and approvals: Commercial cannabis activities (cultivation, manufacturing, testing, distribution, retail, non-storefront retailers, microbusinesses) are allowed in the cannabis overlay zone but generally only with a conditional use permit or as part of a fully executed development agreement approved by city council plus a regulatory permit per § 17.11.1030. Certain cannabis uses (e.g., testing labs) may also be allowed in specified base zones with the same approvals. § 17.11.1030.
• Key operational standards: Important, applicant-facing limits include: indoor-only cultivation/manufacturing/testing; a minimum lot/building 5,000 sq ft for cultivation (except microbusinesses/nurseries); a cap that cultivation/manufacturing may occupy no more than 75% of legal parcel acreage; and a 600 ft buffer required from any sensitive receptor for most cannabis uses (measured from building to lot line). Odor control (no detectable odor off-site) and adherence to state licensing are mandatory. These appear in § 17.11.1030(A–F).
• Practical guidance: If a parcel is inside the cannabis overlay, expect a higher bar of community notification, evidence of odor mitigation, and the need to prove compliance with both local CUP/development agreement requirements and all applicable state licenses. See the cannabis chapter for exact permit sequencing. § 17.11.1030.

Quick reference — Key decision-relevant standards and uses

How overlays interact with other processes and topics

• Design review: SP and PD projects normally trigger development review and can require design review as part of the development plan or CUP process; § 17.09.320 requires development review of allowable uses in an SP.
• Parking: SP and PD projects must provide parking consistent with Chapter 17.13; SP performance standards explicitly reference Chapter 17.13 and allow administrative relief only with supporting evidence during development review. § 17.09.340(D) and Chapter 17.13.
• Variances / administrative relief: Some dimensional relief (small adjustments in setbacks, fence heights, lot coverage, height) can be granted via the administrative variance process or director-level approvals—see Chapter 17.20 for the authority and limits. § 17.20.030–040.
• Nonconforming uses: When an overlay is applied or amended, existing uses may become nonconforming; the nonconforming use rules (time to abate, alteration limits) in Article VII—Nonconforming Uses apply. See the nonconforming-use provisions for timelines and notification procedures. § 17.01.880 et seq.

Also consider parking, signage, landscaping and screening, and the ADU and state ADU law pages when your overlay project adds units or alters site parking/landscaping.

Checklist — What an applicant must prepare for an overlay application (common items)

• Pre-application consultation with the Director (required for SP applications). § 17.09.350.
• Development plan and development-plan text showing permitted uses, phasing, acreage, densities, circulation, open space, and utilities per § 17.09.360.
• Technical exhibits as required: boundary survey, topography, grading concept, sensitive areas mapping, and circulation plan. § 17.09.360.
• Evidence of parking compliance or technical justification for reduced parking (Chapter 17.13 / § 17.09.340.D).
• CEQA documentation as needed and public hearing materials (SP establishment and PD/CUP processes require public hearings under Chapter 17.01). § 17.09.370(A) and Chapter 17.01 procedures.
• For cannabis uses: CUP or development agreement, state licenses, odor/ventilation plan, distance analyses to sensitive receptors, and parcel-area compliance (minimum 5,000 sq ft and 75% acreage limit where applicable). § 17.11.1030.

Verify with the jurisdiction whether additional submittals (market/housing analysis, traffic studies, landscaping plans, utility studies) are required for your parcel and overlay. § 17.09.350–360 outline what may be requested.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Calexico’s overlays (notably PD, SP, and the cannabis overlay zone) layer project-specific rules on top of a property's base zoning: the PD lets developers design with flexibility subject to a conditional permit, the SP governs large, phased developments through an adopted development plan, and the cannabis overlay defines where and how commercial cannabis operations may operate (including buffers, indoor-only rules, and minimum sizes). Always check the exact overlay development plan text and the zoning map for parcel-specific rules—these control what you can build. See § 17.09.210–230, § 17.09.310–370, and § 17.11.1010–1030 for the controlling rules.

Source References

• Calexico Title 17 — ZONING (listing of zones including PD and SP): § 17.01.140.
• Planned Development (PD) — Purpose, permitted uses, property development standards: § 17.09.210, § 17.09.220, § 17.09.230.
• Specific Plan Overlay (SP) — Purpose, uses, development plan, standards, performance standards, adoption: § 17.09.310–§ 17.09.380 (notably § 17.09.320, § 17.09.330, § 17.09.340, § 17.09.350–360–370).
• Cannabis overlay zone — definition, permitted locations and standards (buffers, indoor-only, minimum sizes, acreage caps, permitting path): § 17.11.1010–§ 17.11.1030.
• Parking requirements referenced by overlays — Chapter 17.13 (off-street parking schedule and standards): Chapter 17.13 and § 17.13.130.
• Administrative variances and director-level adjustments (limits and findings): Chapter 17.20, § 17.20.030–040–050.
• Nonconforming uses rules referenced when overlays change allowable uses: Article on nonconforming uses — § 17.01.880 and related provisions.

Retrieved passages

• Calexico Zoning Code (Chapter 17.13.) High relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code (Chapter 17.01) High relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code (Chapter 17.13.) High relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code (Chapter 17.13.) Medium relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code (Chapter 17.01) Medium relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code (§ 2) Medium relevance show source text
• Calexico Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Calexico Title 17 — ZONING (listing of zones including **PD** and **SP**): **§ 17.01.140**. (Title 17)
• Planned Development (PD) — Purpose, permitted uses, property development standards: **§ 17.09.210**, **§ 17.09.220**, **§ 17.09.230**. (§ 17.09.210)
• Specific Plan Overlay (SP) — Purpose, uses, development plan, standards, performance standards, adoption: **§ 17.09.310–§ 17.09.380** (notably **§ 17.09.320**, **§ 17.09.330**, **§ 17.09.340**, **§ 17.09.350–360–370**). (§ 17.09.310)
• Cannabis overlay zone — definition, permitted locations and standards (buffers, indoor-only, minimum sizes, acreage caps, permitting path): **§ 17.11.1010–§ 17.11.1030**. (§ 17.11.1010)
• Parking requirements referenced by overlays — Chapter **17.13** (off-street parking schedule and standards): Chapter **17.13** and **§ 17.13.130**. (§ 17.13.130)
• Administrative variances and director-level adjustments (limits and findings): Chapter **17.20**, **§ 17.20.030–040–050**. (§ 17.20.030)
• Nonconforming uses rules referenced when overlays change allowable uses: Article on nonconforming uses — **§ 17.01.880** and related provisions. (Article on)
• Calexico_ZoningCode.md

• Official Calexico code library