Calistoga Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Calistoga’s local zoning is codified in Title 17 (Zoning) of the Calistoga Municipal Code and is organized by base districts (residential, commercial, industrial, public), planned development/combining districts, and a set of citywide chapters that hold the standards that apply across districts (parking, general provisions, accessory buildings, affordable housing rules, use-permit procedures, etc.). The map rules and base district list are established in § 17.03.040 and related general provisions § 17.03.020 – § 17.03.080 . This page explains how to navigate Title 17, names the actual local districts and key chapters, and summarizes how development standards, review paths, overlays and state housing laws are applied in Calistoga.

How Calistoga's code is organized

• Table-of-contents style chapters: Title 17 is arranged by district chapters (for example RR in Chapter 17.14, R-1 in Chapter 17.16, R-3 in Chapter 17.19, DC in Chapter 17.21, CC in Chapter 17.22, I in Chapter 17.26, and PD in Chapter 17.24) and by cross‑cutting chapters (e.g., parking, accessory standards, affordable housing). See the code index and chapter headings in the Title 17 table of contents listing (e.g., Chapters 17.14–17.26 and Chapter 17.24 for PD) .
• Base districts and combining districts are declared in § 17.03.040 and § 17.03.050 (base zoning list; combining districts such as PD, DD, A, VA) .
• Rules that apply citywide (setback measurement, height measurement, accessory building rules, parking rules, use‑permit procedures) live in the cross‑cutting chapters such as the general provisions and exceptions, building-envelope exhibits, accessory standards, and off‑street parking (examples: § 17.38.030 for height limits; § 17.38.050 for accessory building setbacks; Chapter 17.36 for parking) .

Zoning district families (what they are and where to read them)

• Residential districts:
  • RR (Rural Residential) — Chapter 17.14; lot sizes, setbacks and max height (example: Maximum height 25 ft, max lot coverage 30%, setbacks in § 17.14.040) .
  • RR‑H (Rural Residential – Hillside) — Chapter 17.15; hillside principles, slope-based density rules and alternative lot-size rules; accessory dwelling units expressly referenced (see § 17.15.030) .
  • R‑1 / R‑1‑10 (One‑Family Residential) — Chapter 17.16; typical small‑lot vs larger‑lot thresholds, lot coverage and height limits (see § 17.16.040 / § 17.16.050 for development requirements) .
  • R‑2 (Two‑Family) — Chapter 17.18; allows single‑family, duplexes and accessory dwelling units in accordance with Chapter 17.37 (§ 17.18.020) .
  • R‑3 (Multifamily Residential / Office) — Chapter 17.19; multifamily standards, open‑space minimums and the by‑right allowance for multifamily on some identified sites when affordable units are provided (§ 17.19.040 – § 17.19.050) .
  • MHP (Mobile Home Park) — Chapter 17.20 .
• Commercial districts:
  • DC (Downtown Commercial) — Chapter 17.21; pedestrian/downtown rules, special design review reference § 17.21.070 .
  • CC (Community Commercial) — Chapter 17.22; edge‑of‑downtown and mixed commercial/residential guidance § 17.22.010 – § 17.22.070 .
• Industrial / Public:
  • I (Light Industrial) — Chapter 17.26 (setbacks, coverage and 30‑ft height cap in some situations) .
  • P (Public) — Chapter 17.23 (uses and development standards for public/quasi‑public uses) § 17.23.030 .
• Planned Development / Combining districts:
  • PD (Planned Development) — Chapter 17.24 (PD creation, required development plan content § 17.24.050, review § 17.24.060, modification rules § 17.24.070 and multiple specific PD ordinances such as PD 2002‑2, PD 2012‑01) .
  • Other combining zones: DD (Design District), A (Airport), VA (Visitor Accommodations) per § 17.03.050 .

(Every district chapter lists permitted uses, conditional uses, accessory uses and the district’s development standards — see the specific chapter for each district; examples: § 17.14.040 for RR, § 17.15.040 for RR‑H, § 17.19.040 for R‑3) .

Citywide development standards (how to find the controlling rules)

• Height: Citywide building‑height measurement and general height caps are stated in § 17.38.030 (e.g., general cap language and exceptions; district chapters commonly set the practical caps — many residential districts use a 25 ft primary building standard) .
• Setbacks, coverage, FAR and open space: Individual district chapters provide the actual setback, lot coverage and open‑space minimums for that district (examples: § 17.14.040 for RR, § 17.19.040 for R‑3, and § 17.24.350 for certain PDs). General accessory building setback and small‑structure allowances are in § 17.38.050 .
  • Example concrete snippets in the code: R‑3 requires a minimum of 300 sq ft usable open space per unit and caps primary building height at 25 ft in § 17.19.040; R‑1 maximum primary‑dwelling height commonly appears as 25 ft and lot coverage tables are in Chapter 17.16 § 17.16.040–050 .
• Parking: Off‑street parking and loading rules are centralized in Chapter 17.36; many district chapters reference that chapter for on‑site parking standards and exceptions (see repeated district references to Chapter 17.36, e.g., § 17.14.050.C, § 17.21.070.C, § 17.24.280.E) .
  • For the downtown core and some PDs, the code allows parking within front setbacks by permit or requires screening where parking is visible from public right‑of‑way (§ 17.24.280.E) .
• Projections, measurement exhibits and measurement rules (how height and buildable envelopes are determined) are found in § 17.38.040 (Exhibits A–D) and § 17.38.030 for projection rules and exceptions .

Tip: for a practical project, read the district chapter that matches your parcel first (e.g., Chapter 17.16 for R‑1 parcels) and then read the cross‑cutting chapters cited in that district's “Other development requirements” (e.g., design review, parking, accessory standards) — district chapters repeatedly point to the citywide chapters (each district’s “Other development requirements” typically lists the exact chapters to consult) .

Design / discretionary review

• Design review authority and application triggers are referenced from district chapters (many district chapters say “Design review, per Chapter 17.06 CMC” or “per Chapter 17.41 CMC” depending on the district text) — note that the code index shows Chapter 17.06 was repealed (editor’s note in the table of contents) and higher‑level design review language appears in more recent district references to Chapter 17.41 (for DC, CC, I, etc.) — check the district’s “Other development requirements” for which design chapter the district points to (example: § 17.21.070.F refers to Chapter 17.41 for Downtown) .
• Discretionary actions:
  • Use permits (discretionary) — procedures and criteria are governed by Chapter 17.40; district chapters tell you when a use requires a use permit (e.g., many PDs, commercial uses and some visitor accommodations are “use permit required”) .
  • Planned Development (PD) approvals are legislative/rezoning actions combined with a development plan; procedures and required plan contents are in § 17.24.050 – § 17.24.060 (PD application contents, Planning Commission hearing and City Council adoption) .
  • Minor vs major modifications to approved PDs are handled by § 17.24.070 (Planning Commission or Director depending on the scale) .
• Practical orientation: expect design review and/or Planning Commission hearings for new multi‑unit or non‑standard projects, and expect the staff/Director to handle smaller ministerial items or minor PD modifications following the thresholds in the PD chapter § 17.24.070 and various district “Other development requirements” paragraphs .

Specific plans & overlays

• The code contains site‑specific PDs (examples: PD 2002‑2 Maxfield, PD 2012‑01 Berry Cottages) with their own sections and standards inside Chapter 17.24 (see e.g., § 17.24.120–170; § 17.24.800–830 for Berry Cottages) .
• Combining/overlay districts are instituted in § 17.03.050 and individual combining chapters (PD, DD, A, VA) spell out how they modify base zoning; district chapters often list the required overlays and cross references (see § 17.03.050 and PD chapters) .
• For historic preservation, sign rules, landscaping, nonconforming uses and variances the code has separate chapters referenced in district “other requirements” lists (e.g., Chapter 17.58 for signs, Chapter 17.52 for fences, Chapter 17.60 for reasonable accommodation requests); consult the district chapter’s list to find which overlays or special chapters apply to your site (districts repeatedly reference these chapters in the “Other development requirements” lists) .

(For an overlay/overlay map check — the zoning map is the official source for which overlay or PD is applied to a parcel; map boundary rules and how to interpret map symbols live in § 17.03.020) .

Building permits & review (practical permit path)

• Start at the district chapter for permitted uses: district chapters list uses “Allowed without a Use Permit,” “Uses requiring a Use Permit,” and “Accessory uses.” If your project is listed as allowed without a use permit and meets objective standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage), the path is more likely ministerial (building permit + zoning clearance). See any district’s Uses Allowed (examples: § 17.18.020 for R‑2, § 17.24.810 for Berry PD) .
• If your project requires design review or a use permit (many districts or special uses do), the application will be routed to Planning staff and either to the Director, the Design Review Board, or the Planning Commission depending on the required entitlement and thresholds (use permits per Chapter 17.40, PDs per Chapter 17.24) — see § 17.24.060 for PD review and § 17.24.050 for PD application content .
• Code cross references: district chapters routinely point you to cross‑cutting chapters you must meet for a building permit — e.g., parking (Chapter 17.36), accessory structure setbacks (§ 17.38.050), fences (Chapter 17.52) and signs (Chapter 17.58) — check the “Other development requirements” paragraph in your district chapter for the exact chapters to read (this is repeated across district chapters such as § 17.14.050, § 17.19.050, § 17.21.070) .
• Building code / construction standards: Calistoga enforces state building code standards — consult the City’s building department and the California Building Standards Code for Title 24 and construction permitting requirements (local zoning sets land‑use and siting; Title 24 sets structural/fire/electrical/plumbing standards).

State housing law in Calistoga

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) & Junior ADUs (JADUs)
  • Calistoga districts explicitly allow ADUs/JADUs by reference to a dedicated ADU chapter: many district use tables and use lists mention “one accessory dwelling unit in accordance with Chapter 17.37 CMC” (examples: § 17.18.020 for R‑2, § 17.15.030 for RR‑H, and PD sections) — consult Chapter 17.37 for the local ADU rules and consult the California ADU law for state minimums; the district references show that ADUs are a recognized, allowed accessory use in Calistoga residential and many PD chapters .
  • The code text explicitly lists both “accessory dwelling unit” and “junior accessory dwelling unit” as allowed in at least one district (see “One accessory dwelling unit per lot” and “One junior accessory dwelling unit per lot in accordance with Chapter 17.37 CMC” in district excerpts) — see district language referencing Chapter 17.37 for the controlling local implementation details .
• Density bonus / affordable housing incentives
  • Affordable housing requirements and incentives are centralized in Chapter 17.08 (see § 17.08.010–050 and the index entries for § 17.08.030 Affordable housing incentives) and district chapters repeatedly refer to Chapter 17.08 in their “Other development requirements” lists (e.g., § 17.14.050, § 17.19.050, § 17.21.070). This is the place to look for local affordable‑housing obligations and locally adopted incentives that implement state programs or provide local incentives .
  • The R‑3 chapter specifically identifies certain reuse sites where multifamily housing may be allowed by right at identified densities provided at least 20% of units are affordable; that local rule is implemented with design review and objective standards references (§ 17.19.050.J–K) .
• SB 9 (two‑unit/mid‑lot split / ministerial rules), state density‑bonus specifics, and rent‑control rules
  • The uploaded municipal code excerpts and index repeatedly reference ADU rules and local affordable housing Chapter 17.08, but I did not find explicit Calistoga code text in the retrieved materials that implements or references SB 9 ministerial parcel split / two‑unit ministerial approval language, nor a local rent‑control ordinance in Title 17. Where the code addresses state law directly, district text tends to reference “in accordance with State law” for certain uses (e.g., residential care homes) but specific SB 9 implementing language or local rent‑control chapters are not found in the retrieved materials; verify with the Planning Department for the city’s current SB 9 implementation stance and any supplemental ordinances or administrative guidance (Not found in retrieved materials) .
  • For density bonus program details (state density bonus), the City’s affordable housing chapter (Chapter 17.08) lists affordable housing incentives (§ 17.08.030) — review that chapter for whether and how Calistoga implements local density bonus equivalents or linkages to state density bonus law .

Information gaps and next steps (what to check with staff)

• SB 9 / ministerial lot‑split language in the Calistoga code: Not found in the retrieved Title 17 excerpts — confirm current administrative procedures with Planning staff.
• Full text of Chapter 17.37 (ADUs) was referenced by many district chapters but the complete ADU section text is not visible in the excerpts I reviewed here — consult Chapter 17.37 CMC directly or contact Planning for ADU ministerial checklist and objective standards (districts explicitly point to Chapter 17.37 for ADU rules) .
• Local rent‑control or short‑term rental rules: short‑term rentals/booking provisions and short‑term rental prohibitions appear as separate chapters in some municipal codes, but a comprehensive short‑term rental or rent‑control chapter text was not located in the retrieved Title 17 excerpts — confirm with the City Clerk or Planning for any newer ordinances (Not found in retrieved materials).
• Where district chapters still cite Chapter 17.06 for design review but the table of contents shows Chapter 17.06 was repealed, the updated design review authority appears in Chapter 17.41 in some district references — verify which design‑review chapter and board currently exercise review authority for your project (see § 17.21.070.F pointing to Chapter 17.41 and the TOC note regarding 17.06) .

Source References

• Calistoga Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning): multiple district chapters and cross‑cutting chapters (examples cited above: **§ 17.03.020, § 17.03.040, § 17.03.050, § 17.03.080, § 17.14.040, § 17.15.030, § 17.16.050, § 17.18.020, § 17.19.040, § 17.19.050, § 17.21.070, § 17.22.010, § 17.24.050, § 17.24.060, § 17.24.070, § 17.36.x, § 17.38.030, § 17.38.050, Chapter 17.08] — source file excerpts from the uploaded Calistoga zoning code document (downloaded from eCode360): https://ecode360.com/CA1828