Dunsmuir — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Dunsmuir's zoning code (Title 17) actually says about land use: which activities are principally permitted, which require discretionary review, and the most-used dimensional and development limits. It is grounded in the adopted municipal code text (Title 17) and points you to the exact controlling sections. For a quick look at the city's map and district boundaries, consult the city's zoning information first (see § 17.12.020) . Wherever the code calls out numerical development limits I cite the controlling §; where the code text is silent I state "Not found in retrieved materials."

Note: references below point to the code text; check design and ministerial details such as objective standards in the development standards and comply with the California Building Standards Code where the ordinance defers to it.

How to read what's below

• Each district subsection names the district in bold (e.g., R-1), lists the district purpose and the principal (permitted) uses the code lists, notes conditional/accessory uses, and pulls the key dimensional controls the code ties to that district. I cite the specific controlling code section (for example § 17.16.020) and the file result that contains that section. Where the code refers to other chapters (parking, ADUs, signs, etc.) I link to the applicable GoCodebook menu pages the first time those topics are mentioned: parking, design review, overlay districts, and ADUs.

District-by-district breakdown

### R-1 (Low Density Residential)

• Purpose: Intended for low‑density residential development consistent with the Low Density Residential land use designation. See § 17.16.010 .
• Typical permitted uses: Residential care homes, single‑family residential, small employee housing, supportive housing, transitional housing — see § 17.16.020 .
• Accessory/secondary: Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) per Chapter 17.116, cottage food operations, family childcare homes, home occupations, second dwelling units, short‑term rentals (see § 17.16.030) — cite § 17.16.030 and see the ADU rules at Dunsmuir ADUs.
• Conditional uses: community gardens, farming, parks, places of worship, schools, and other uses listed at § 17.16.040 .
• Key dimensional standards: Dwelling units/acre: 1–6, max height: 30 ft (45 ft for places of worship), max lot coverage: 40%, front setback: 20 ft, side/interior side 5 ft / nonresidential 10 ft, rear 20 ft (see § 17.16.060) .
• Where it applies: consult the City zoning map and the mapping rules § 17.12.020–030 .

### R-2 (Medium Density Residential)

• Purpose: Mix of low- and medium-density residential (see § 17.20.010) .
• Typical permitted uses: Duplexes, single‑family, residential care homes, small employee housing, supportive and transitional housing — § 17.20.020 .
• Accessory: ADUs, family childcare, home occupations, second dwelling units, short‑term rentals per § 17.20.030 .
• Conditional uses: community gardens, farming, parks, places of worship, schools, limited multifamily (see § 17.20.040) .
• Key dimensional standards: Dwelling units/acre: 1–12, max height: 30 ft (45 ft for places of worship), lot coverage: 50%, front setback: 20 ft, side 5 ft (interior) and 10 ft (exterior), accessory structures 5 ft rear — see § 17.20.060 .

### R-3 (High Density Residential)

• Purpose: For a range of densities (low–high) consistent with the High Density Residential designation § 17.24.010 .
• Typical permitted uses: Dormitories, duplex, multifamily, residential care homes, single‑family, employee housing, supportive/transitional housing — § 17.24.020 .
• Accessory/conditional: ADUs allowed as accessory uses (see § 17.24.030) and a list of conditional uses at § 17.24.040 .
• Key dimensional standards: The code lists district development standards elsewhere in Title 17; some multifamily-specific objective standards are in Chapter 17.132 (objective design) and apply to R-1/R-2/R-3/MU/T‑C where state streamlining is claimed — see § 17.132.020–040 . For parcel‑level height/coverage/setback numbers for R‑3 specifically: Not found in retrieved materials as a single labeled development‑standards section for R‑3 (Verify with the jurisdiction).

### MU‑1 (Residential Mixed Use)

• Purpose: Compatible mixture of residential and nonresidential uses that do not generate significant traffic; consistent with Mixed Use designation § 17.28.010 .
• Typical permitted uses: Artist studios, community gardens, live/work units, media production, personal & professional services, small residential types (duplex, multifamily, single‑family, residential care, small employee housing) — see § 17.28.020 .
• Accessory: ADUs, cottage food operations, family childcare, home occupations, second units, short‑term rentals — § 17.28.030 .
• Conditional: bed & breakfasts, parks, schools >35 students, off‑site parking, etc. per § 17.28.040 .
• Key dimensional standards: Dwelling units/acre: 1–40, max height: 35 ft (45 ft for places of worship), max lot coverage: 75%, front setback: 15 ft, side interior 5 ft, exterior side 10 ft, accessory structures 5 ft — see § 17.28.060 .

### MU‑2 (Neighborhood Mixed Use)

• Purpose: Applied near primary roadways for higher‑density residential and compatible nonresidential uses (see § 17.32.010) .
• Typical permitted uses: Banks, offices, convenience stores/pharmacies, grocery, clinics, live/work, craft food & beverage (alcohol requires use permit), health services, some residential types (duplex, multifamily, supportive housing) — see § 17.32.020 .
• Accessory/conditional: ADUs allowed; certified farmers' markets listed by code as accessory; conditional list at § 17.32.040 (see code) .
• Key dimensional standards: Not clearly presented in the retrieved snippets for a single MU‑2 development‑standards section. Verify with the jurisdiction for exact numeric setbacks/coverage; objective design standards in § 17.132 may apply for qualifying projects .

### T-C (Town Center)

• Purpose: Applied to downtown/historic commercial district to encourage pedestrian‑scale, mixed uses; consistent with Mixed Use land use designation § 17.40.010 .
• Typical permitted uses: Broad retail and service mix—retail, restaurants/alcoholic beverage sales, artist studios, offices, health clinics, hostels/hotels/motels, theaters, vertical mixed‑use including residential — see § 17.40.020 .
• Accessory & special rules: Live/work units, vertical mixed use, and limited off‑street parking because parking is constrained in the district; see chapter references to parking in the code (multiple sections reference Chapter 17.76) .
• Key dimensional standards: Town‑center‑specific development rules are integrated; consult the code for parcel‑specific limits and review triggers. See objective design standards § 17.132 for multifamily/mixed projects that seek ministerial review .

### L‑M (Light Manufacturing)

• Purpose: For heavier commercial and light manufacturing uses consistent with the Industrial land use designation § 17.48.010 .
• Typical permitted uses: Animal grooming/vet offices, artisan crafts manufacturing and sales, vehicle sales/rental, building materials yards, offices, retail food, craft food & beverage production, garden centers, indoor sports/fitness, and mixed‑use — § 17.48.020 .
• Conditional uses: fueling stations with fuel sales, storage yards, food/beverage manufacturing, recycling facilities, etc. § 17.48.040 .
• Key dimensional standards: Min lot size: 7,500 sf, max height: 50 ft, max lot coverage: 75%, front setback: 25 ft, side/rear setbacks vary and often require screening — see § 17.48.050–060 .
• Overlays & signage: manufacturing/service commercial signage rules are separately scaled in Chapter 17.80 (Signs) .

### M (Manufacturing)

• Purpose & uses: heavier industrial/manufacturing uses; detailed permitted uses and a broad conditional‑use list are in Chapter 17.52 (see examples at § 17.52.030–040) .
• Key dimensional standards: Min parcel size: 7,500 sf, max height: 50 ft, max lot coverage: 75%, front setback: 25 ft, side/rear setbacks with screening when adjacent to non‑industrial districts — see § 17.52.050–060 .

### S‑C (Service Commercial) — (Chapter 17.44)

• Purpose & uses: commercial services including drive‑throughs and heavier commercial uses (see § 17.44.010–040) .
• Key dimensional standards: Min parcel size: 7,500 sf, max height: 50 ft, lot coverage: 75%, front setback: 10 ft, and other yard rules in § 17.44.050–060 .

### P‑F (Public Facilities) and O‑S (Open Space)

• P‑F: Permitted uses are public/quasi‑public facilities and public schools (see § 17.60.020); development standards include max height: 50 ft, setbacks 10 ft and lot coverage 80% in § 17.60.060 .
• O‑S: For parks, river/open space, resource protection and recreation. Principally permitted uses are listed at § 17.56.020–040; lot and development standards are set out in § 17.56.050–060 (see code) .

### P‑D (Planned Development)

• Purpose: intended to provide flexibility for comprehensive mixed projects, shopping centers, multifamily projects, etc.; special approval findings and a development plan are required — see § 17.64.010–020 .

Quick comparison table — decision‑relevant items

Checklist — what an applicant must satisfy (high‑level)

• Confirm the parcel's zoning district on the City zoning map (§ 17.12.020) and which district purpose applies .
• Verify whether the proposed use is a principally permitted use or a conditional use in that district (consult the district's permitted‑uses section such as § 17.16.020 for R‑1, § 17.20.020 for R‑2, etc.) .
• Confirm development standards (height, setbacks, lot coverage, dwelling units/acre) in the district's development‑standards section (e.g., § 17.16.060, § 17.20.060, § 17.28.060) .
• Meet off‑street parking requirements in Chapter 17.76; check downtown T‑C exemptions and constraints (see references in district sections) and consult the parking page .
• If proposing ADUs, follow Chapter 17.116 and state ADU law; see Dunsmuir ADUs and Chapter references in accessory sections (e.g., § 17.16.030) .
• If claiming objective‑design streamlining, confirm applicability and meet Chapter 17.132 objective design standards § 17.132.020–040 .
• Confirm whether the proposed use requires a conditional use permit, variance, design review, or planned development approval and follow the procedures (see design review, variances and exceptions) .
• For any building or safety items referenced by the zoning code (e.g., distance between buildings, accessory structure height), coordinate with compliance to the California Building Standards Code.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Dunsmuir's Title 17 is a conventional zone‑by‑zone code: each district (for example R‑1, R‑2, MU‑1, T‑C, L‑M, M, O‑S, P‑F) lists what is principally allowed, what is allowed as an accessory, and what needs a conditional use permit; most districts also include numeric rules for height, setbacks, and lot coverage that you must meet or seek a permit to alter (see the cited § for each district). Always start by confirming the parcel's zoning on the city's map (§ 17.12.020) and then read that district's permitted‑use and development‑standards sections before planning work or filing an application .

Source References

• City of Dunsmuir, Title 17 — Zoning Code (adopted Ord. No. 575): chapters and sections cited throughout (examples: § 17.16.020, § 17.16.060, § 17.20.060, § 17.28.060, § 17.48.060, § 17.52.060, § 17.56.020, § 17.60.060) . (Source file: Dunsmuir_ZoningCode.md; print export of Title 17)
• Zoning map / district boundary rules: § 17.12.020–030 (City zoning map and boundary determination) .
• Objective design and ministerial standards for qualifying multifamily/mixed projects: Chapter 17.132 (objective design standards, applicability) .
• Overlay, historic, and special chapters referenced in text: Historic Preservation Chapter 17.68 and Signs Chapter 17.80 (see sections referenced above) .

If you want, I can extract a printable single‑page summary for a specific parcel if you supply the assessor's parcel number (verify zoning map location first) — otherwise, verify everything with City planning staff before you submit an application.

Retrieved passages

• CBC § 020 (§ I) High relevance show source text
• Dunsmuir Zoning Code (§ I) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.180 (§ I) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.120 (Chapter 17.112) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.150 (Chapter 17.76) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 040 (§ I) High relevance show source text
• Dunsmuir Zoning Code (§ I) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.180 (§ I) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.180 (§ I) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.180 (§ I) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.180 (Section 17.92.180) Medium relevance show source text
• CFC § 104.030 (§ I) Medium relevance show source text
• Dunsmuir Zoning Code (title by) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.120 (Section 17.92.120) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 010 (Chapter 17.60) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.96.040 (Chapter 17.76) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.92.150 (Section 17.92.150) Medium relevance show source text
• Dunsmuir Zoning Code (§ I) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• City of Dunsmuir, Title 17 — Zoning Code (adopted Ord. No. 575): chapters and sections cited throughout (examples: **§ 17.16.020**, **§ 17.16.060**, **§ 17.20.060**, **§ 17.28.060**, **§ 17.48.060**, **§ 17.52.060**, **§ 17.56.020**, **§ 17.60.060**) . (Source file: Dunsmuir_ZoningCode.md; print export of Title 17) (Title 17)
• Zoning map / district boundary rules: **§ 17.12.020–030** (City zoning map and boundary determination) . (§ 17.12.020)
• Objective design and ministerial standards for qualifying multifamily/mixed projects: **Chapter 17.132** (objective design standards, applicability) . (Chapter 17.132)
• Overlay, historic, and special chapters referenced in text: Historic Preservation **Chapter 17.68** and Signs **Chapter 17.80** (see sections referenced above) . (Chapter 17.68)
• Dunsmuir_ZoningCode.md

• Official Dunsmuir code library