Fairfield — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Fairfield’s design review system is embedded in Title 25 (Zoning Ordinance). The ordinance distinguishes quick, over-the-counter plan review from three escalating discretionary reviews—Minor Discretionary Review (§ 25.40.4), Minor Development Review (§ 25.40.5), and Development Review (§ 25.40.5)—and assigns review authority, referrals, and findings that must be made before approval. The code explicitly ties design judgement to consistency with the General Plan, adopted design guidelines, and applicable specific plans (§ 25.40.5 and § 25.41.1) .

Quick links used in this page (first natural mentions): the city-wide context for this material is in Fairfield Zoning (/us/california/fairfield/zoning), and design review decisions interact directly with the city’s rules on development standards (/us/california/fairfield/development-standards), parking (/us/california/fairfield/parking), overlay districts (/us/california/fairfield/overlay-districts), ADUs (/us/california/fairfield/adu), the California Building Standards Code (/us/california/building-codes), and landscaping requirements (/us/california/fairfield/landscaping-and-screening).

How Fairfield’s design review works (process, authority, triggers)

• Plan Review is an over-the-counter review for very minor façade or site changes (§ 25.40.3) .
• Minor Discretionary Review is an administrative, director-level review for routine but interpretive design changes; the Director must act within a short time period and may refer the item to the Planning Commission (§ 25.40.4) .
• Minor Development Review (Director-level with DART review, public notice/hearing requirements) and Development Review (Planning Commission decision) are required for projects identified in Table 25‑18; findings include General Plan and design-consistency findings (§ 25.40.5) .
• The Development Action Review Team (DART) reviews many development applications for technical and design compatibility and forwards recommendations (§ 25.41.5) .
• Where the City Council has created planning-area design rules, a Planning Area Design Review Committee may be required to advise the Director or Planning Commission (§ 25.49.2) .
• Triggers: the discrete list of which permit level applies to a given improvement is Table 25‑18 (Development Permit Requirements); when multiple components of a project carry different review levels, the highest applicable review level governs (§ 25.40.1) .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the districts most commonly involved in design review decisions. For each, I show the purpose, typical permitted uses (high-level), the most decision-relevant dimensional/design standards drawn from the ordinance tables, and where those rules are applied in the City (how they are referenced in specific plans or planning areas). Always verify parcel-specific rules with the Department (some areas use suffixes or specific-plan modifications).

Notes on sources: summary numbers below are taken from the ordinance’s development-regulation tables (Tables 25‑3, 25‑4, 25‑5, 25‑6) and the Development Regulations section (§ 25.20.3.x) — see the code citations beneath each district for the controlling references and the ordinance file text citations.

RLM (Residential Low-Medium)

• Purpose: Compact single-family/small-lot housing to enable moderate-density neighborhoods and small-lot subdivisions; used in new infill and planned developments.
• Typical permitted uses: Single-family detached and attached small-lot homes; accessory uses and limited multifamily per table notes (varies by suffix) (see Table 25‑5 and § 25.20.3) .
• Key design/dimensional standards (decision-relevant):
  • Private open space per unit (small-lot RLM): 450 sq ft (Table 25‑5) .
  • Lot coverage (small-lot RLM): 50% max (Table 25‑5) .
  • Principal building height limit (multifamily standard applied where relevant): 35 ft (Table 25‑4) .
  • Garage/driveway and street-facing garage controls (see Table notes); typical garage-to-street driveway depth and maximum façade garage percentage are enforced in single-family tables (§ 25.20.3, Table 25‑3/25‑5) .
• Where it applies: RLM standards are applied across mapped RLM areas; some RLM areas are assigned density suffixes (e.g., RLM:6) that change which table (25‑3 or 25‑5) applies (§ 25.20.3.1‑3) .

RM (Residential Medium)

• Purpose: Multifamily housing (townhomes, apartments) at moderate densities.
• Typical permitted uses: Duplexes, triplexes, small apartments, attached housing, accessory uses — regulated with multifamily rules in Table 25‑4/25‑6 and PUD cases (§ 25.20.4.8) .
• Key design/dimensional standards:
  • Private open space per unit (RM small-lot): 80 / 48 sq ft ground/upper formats (Table 25‑4) .
  • Lot coverage (alternative multifamily rules): 50–60% depending on table (Table 25‑6) .
  • Building height limits: 35 ft (RLM/RM); 45 ft allowed in RH; 50 ft in RVH where applicable (Table 25‑4) — increases require Conditional Use Permit (§ 25.40.6) .
  • Setbacks: typical minimums include 15–20 ft from streets (averaging and minimums shown in Table 25‑4); interior separation and open-space minima are enforced (Table 25‑4 and § 25.20.4.8) .
• Where it applies: mapped RM zones and areas within Specific Plans that reference RM standards (Train Station, Heart of Fairfield, etc.) (§ 25.20.3.2‑4) .

RH / RVH (Residential High / Very High)

• Purpose: Higher-density multifamily and mixed housing close to transit, employment centers, and in Specific Plan areas.
• Typical permitted uses: Mid‑rise apartments, stacked flats, and other multifamily types consistent with allowed densities in the General Plan; accessory uses and active ground-floor uses as required by plan areas (Table 25‑4/25‑6) .
• Key design/dimensional standards:
  • Principal structure height limits: RH 45 ft; RVH 50 ft (Table 25‑4; increases require CUP) .
  • Common open-space %: RH/RVH require 40%–35% common open space depending on the district (Table 25‑4) .
  • Building separation and special setbacks (front-to-front/front-to-rear) 20 ft minimum between faces of buildings (Table 25‑4) .
• Where it applies: RH / RVH are used in higher-density plan areas (e.g., Train Station Specific Plan) and must comply with Specific Plan design guidelines where overlay rules modify base standards (§ 25.48, and Train Station plan references in code) .

CN (Neighborhood Commercial)

• Purpose: Neighborhood-serving retail and service uses at a pedestrian scale.
• Typical permitted uses: Small retail, restaurants, offices oriented to walkable fronts; the ordinance cross-references Table 25‑9 and CN regulations for design specifics (§ 25.48-related specific-plan references) .
• Key design/dimensional standards:
  • Development standards vary by specific plan overlay; the code requires compliance with the CN table(s) and with streetscape/landscaping standards in Heart of Fairfield when applicable (§ 25.48 and Table references) .
  • Signage, transparency (ground-floor windows), and pedestrian amenity depths are specifically reviewed as part of design review (see § 25.40.5 list of review items) .
• Where it applies: mapped CN parcels and village core areas in Specific Plans; the Specific Plan may add or substitute CN permit requirements (§ 25.48.3 and plan-specific chapters) .

CM (Commercial Mixed-Use)

• Purpose: Mixed residential/commercial development with integrated design standards.
• Typical permitted uses: Ground-floor retail/food service, upper-floor housing, offices consistent with mixed-use plans; must meet CM district standards and any Specific Plan overlay requirements (§ 25.48 references) .
• Key design/dimensional standards:
  • The code requires compliance with underlying base zoning (CM) development standards and design guidelines; parking, FAR, and pedestrian frontage are commonly emphasized during development review (§ 25.20.3 and Table 25 series) .
  • Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and landscape/setback minimums are applied per the development standards tables and project-specific design guidelines (Table references in § 25.20.x) .
• Where it applies: CM mapped zones and Specific Plan mixed-use cores (Heart of Fairfield, Train Station) — Design Review will check street-level activation and parking solutions with DART and Planning Commission input (§ 25.41.5; § 25.40.5) .

REC / PF / AG (Parks, Public Facilities, Agriculture)

• Purpose: Public and resource land uses; designs emphasize preservation, access, and low-impact development.
• Typical permitted uses: Parks, recreation facilities, public facilities, limited agriculture as mapped.
• Key design/dimensional standards:
  • Setbacks and building heights differ from residential/commercial; see Table 25‑14 for AG/OSC/REC/PF setbacks and heights (front yard 25 ft in many cases; building heights up to 50 ft for REC/PF) (§ 25.20.3 and Table 25‑14) .
  • Projects in open-space planning areas are referred to the Open Space Commission for review as part of the Development Review/DART process (§ 25.41.5.E) .
• Where it applies: mapped park/open space and agricultural districts.

Quick-reference table (most decision-relevant standards / triggers)

Checklist

• Confirm which permit level applies via Table 25‑18 (Plan / Minor Discretionary / Minor Development / Development) (§ 25.40.1)
• Prepare materials that respond to the standards listed in Table 25‑3 / 25‑4 / 25‑5 / 25‑6 (setbacks, height, lot coverage, open space) (§ 25.20.3.x)
• Submit full plan set for DART (if required) and include landscape, parking, circulation, and sign treatments for design review (§ 25.41.5; § 25.40.5.D)
• Demonstrate consistency with the General Plan and any applicable Specific Plan design guidelines; prepare narrative addressing the four required findings for Development/Minor Development Review (§ 25.40.5.C)
• If project is in a Planning Area that has a Planning Area Design Review Committee, check for committee review requirements (§ 25.49.1‑2)
• Prepare for public noticing appeals timelines (appeals to Planning Commission/City Council as described in § 25.44/§ 25.43) — verify notice radius and special-notice rules for custom homes (§ 25.40.4.C)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If your project is a small paint or hardware change, it usually goes through an over-the-counter plan review; if it changes how the building looks from the street, adds units, or changes site layout, it will likely trigger a discretionary design review (Director or Planning Commission) tied to the zoning tables for your zone (RLM/RM/RH/CN/CM etc.). The City’s DART and any planning-area design committee will check technical and design details, and the decision-makers must find the project is consistent with the General Plan and city design standards (§ 25.40.3–25.40.5; § 25.41.x) .

Source References

• Fairfield Zoning Ordinance, Division 4 (Permits): § 25.40.1 – § 25.40.9 (Plan Review; Minor Discretionary Review; Minor Development/Development Review): § 25.40.1; § 25.40.3; § 25.40.4; § 25.40.5 .
• DART and application processing: § 25.41.5 – § 25.41.7 (Application filing, DART review, staff report): § 25.41.5; § 25.41.6 .
• Planning Area Design Review Committee and planning-area guidelines: § 25.49.1 – § 25.49.2 .
• Development regulations and tables (site planning, single-family, small‑lot, and multifamily development): § 25.20.3 and Tables 25‑3, 25‑4, 25‑5, 25‑6, 25‑14 (setbacks, heights, lot coverage, open space): § 25.20.3; Table 25‑4; Table 25‑5; Table 25‑6; Table 25‑14 .
• Plan-level references and Specific Plan interactions (Heart of Fairfield, Train Station): § 25.48 (Specific Plans) and plan-specific references in table notes; see § 25.48.x and Train Station Specific Plan citations in the ordinance text .
• Historic Preservation and minor alterations / appeals: relevant language and appeals routes in historic district chapters and § 25.405; see historic resource protection sections (Historic section excerpts in the ordinance) .

If you need the exact table rows or a parcel-specific application checklist (site plan, elevations, landscape plan, materials/color board, lighting plan, parking layout, stormwater plan), I can extract the relevant table cells and list the specific documents the Department normally requires. Verify all project-specific interpretations with the City of Fairfield Planning Division (some areas are subject to Specific Plan modifications and overlay rules).

Retrieved passages

• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 25.43) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (§ 2.) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 65456.) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (SECTION 25.48) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Chapter 12) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (§ 9.) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 25.41) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Article shall) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (SECTION 25.49) High relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Chapter 25) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Chapter 25) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 65863.7.) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 25.40.6) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 25.20.4.8) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 6.4.1) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 4.A.4) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section provides) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 4.A.4) Medium relevance show source text
• Fairfield Zoning Code (Section 25.10.6) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Fairfield Zoning Ordinance, Division 4 (Permits): **§ 25.40.1 – § 25.40.9** (Plan Review; Minor Discretionary Review; Minor Development/Development Review): § 25.40.1; § 25.40.3; § 25.40.4; § 25.40.5 . (§ 25.40.1)
• DART and application processing: **§ 25.41.5 – § 25.41.7** (Application filing, DART review, staff report): § 25.41.5; § 25.41.6 . (§ 25.41.5)
• Planning Area Design Review Committee and planning-area guidelines: **§ 25.49.1 – § 25.49.2** . (§ 25.49.1)
• Development regulations and tables (site planning, single-family, small‑lot, and multifamily development): **§ 25.20.3** and Tables **25‑3**, **25‑4**, **25‑5**, **25‑6**, **25‑14** (setbacks, heights, lot coverage, open space): § 25.20.3; Table 25‑4; Table 25‑5; Table 25‑6; Table 25‑14 . (§ 25.20.3)
• Plan-level references and Specific Plan interactions (Heart of Fairfield, Train Station): § 25.48 (Specific Plans) and plan-specific references in table notes; see § 25.48.x and Train Station Specific Plan citations in the ordinance text . (§ 25.48)
• Historic Preservation and minor alterations / appeals: relevant language and appeals routes in historic district chapters and § 25.405; see historic resource protection sections (Historic section excerpts in the ordinance) . (§ 25.405)
• Fairfield_ZoningCode.md

• Official Fairfield code library