Half Moon Bay — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Design review in Half Moon Bay is a discretionary, ordinance-based process that the city uses to judge architectural, site, and landscape design for consistency with neighborhood character, public safety, coastal policies, and adopted design standards. The city's primary design-review criteria are codified in the zoning ordinance and applied through permitting steps (coastal development permits, site & design review, or historic‑area review) before building permits are issued. See the code's design-review findings and the chapters that require architectural and site plan review for specific districts. § 18.20.070

Note: the page focuses ONLY on what the Half Moon Bay zoning / planning ordinance says about design review (triggers, criteria, and district application). For building-code items refer to the California Building Standards Code.

How Design Review is Organized in the Ordinance

• The formal, citywide design-review criteria are incorporated into coastal permit findings and general design-review language: § 18.20.070 (design criteria and findings) and § 18.20.075 (appeals/finality). § 18.20.070 lists the architectural/site criteria the approving authority must consider. § 18.20.075 covers appellate routes for coastal permits. § 18.20.070 § 18.20.075
• Many individual district chapters explicitly require that the provisions for “architectural and site and design review” be followed before building permits are issued (residential, commercial, planned unit, and special districts). See e.g. § 18.06.080, § 18.07.060, § 18.08.060. § 18.06.080 § 18.07.060 § 18.08.060

When the ordinance requires design review it does so by cross‑reference and by making the design findings part of discretionary approvals (e.g., coastal development permits, site & design review, historic‑area reviews). The ordinance does not centralize a single “design‑review thresholds” list; triggers are scattered in district chapters. Verify with planning staff for parcel‑level applicability. Verify with the jurisdiction.

District-by-district breakdown (how design review is applied)

Note: every district name below is shown in bold to match the ordinance wording. The short summaries below use the ordinance text for purpose, typical uses, key standards, and where design review is referenced.

Residential (R) — (all R districts)

• Purpose / where it applies: The residential chapters set standards and exceptions for R districts and reference architectural/site plan review before building permits. See general residential rules and the exceptions to development standards. § 18.06.080 requires architectural and site plan review prior to issuance of building permits where design review is required. § 18.06.050 contains exceptions to development standards used in design evaluation. § 18.06.080 § 18.06.050
• Typical permitted uses: The ordinance organizes residential uses by R district tables (see Tables B and C referenced in the residential chapter). Specific permitted use lists for each R zone are located in the code chapter for the R districts (not reproduced here). Not found in retrieved materials: a single, compact list of every permitted residential use for all R subdistricts. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Key dimensional standards used by reviewers: setbacks, lot coverage, maximum building envelope, FAR, and height limits as shown in Tables B/C and the development‑standards tables for substandard lots (examples in the code). § 18.06.050 and the substandard‑lot tables explain how small‑lot FAR/coverage and eave encroachments are treated. § 18.06.050 Table references
• Design-review notes: additions, exterior alterations, and exceptions (height, FAR) are evaluated under architectural/site review; the planning commission may hear exceptions and height‑related design considerations. § 18.06.050

First internal links: This district-level discussion often involves development standards and ADUs.

Commercial — Downtown (C‑D) and Commercial‑Residential (C‑R)

• Purpose / where it applies: C‑D implements the downtown specific plan and preserves the historic downtown pedestrian scale. C‑R provides lower‑intensity commercial/residential transitions. The code requires that size, scale, character and design of new buildings be consistent with nearby structures. § 18.07.010 and § 18.07.015 describe intent and establishment. § 18.07.060 requires architectural/site/design review before building permits. § 18.07.010 § 18.07.015 § 18.07.060
• Typical permitted uses: Range of office, retail, service commercial, visitor‑serving uses consistent with the downtown plan; the ordinance emphasizes adaptive reuse of historic buildings. § 18.07.010
• Key standards used by reviewers: continuity of building lines along Main Street, scale and style similar to predominant older structures, compliance with downtown specific plan and historic resources ordinance. § 18.07.055 and § 18.37.040 (old downtown standards) are explicitly applied to downtown projects. § 18.07.055 § 18.37.040
• Design‑review notes: downtown projects are assessed for historic compatibility; the planning commission reviews alterations or demolitions within the historic downtown. § 18.07.055

First internal links: When reviewing downtown proposals applicants must address Historic Preservation, Signage, and Parking.

Commercial — Visitor‑Serving (C‑VS) and General Commercial (C‑G)

• Purpose / where it applies: C‑VS and C‑G provide visitor‑serving and general commercial uses on lands designated for commercial activities. The chapters set development standards and require design compatibility with surrounding residential areas. § 18.08.010 and § 18.08.015 set intent and district establishment; § 18.08.060 requires architectural/site/design review prior to building permits in these districts. § 18.08.010 § 18.08.015 § 18.08.060
• Typical permitted uses: retail, restaurants, offices, service commercial, visitor serving uses consistent with land‑use plan. § 18.08.010
• Key standards used by reviewers: landscaping, signs, screening, lighting, parking and utilities are explicitly evaluated as part of design review. § 18.37.040 and district chapters reference these requirements. § 18.37.040

First internal link: These reviews routinely cross over to Landscaping and Screening and Parking.

Public & Quasi‑Public (P‑S)

• Purpose / where it applies: The P‑S district provides for public facilities and sets specific dimensional standards (e.g., front yard, height). § 18.09.010–§ 18.09.060 describe applicability, permitted uses (fire station, school, library, etc.), and standards; design review requirements are applied where the P‑S chapter refers to architectural/site review. § 18.09.020 § 18.09.030–060
• Design‑review notes: large civic projects will be evaluated for site planning, circulation, access and compatibility with adjacent residential districts and may require planning commission review.

Planned Unit Development (PUD)

• Purpose / where it applies: PUD districts (designation “PUD”) are for coordinated, comprehensive projects; site planning and amenity standards are part of the PUD approval and often require planning commission review of site & design permits. § 18.15.015–025 govern applicability, rezoning, and permitted uses; the community development director or planning commission may require site and design permits as a condition of final map or plan approvals. § 18.15.015 § 18.16.040

Old Downtown / Historic Downtown area

• Purpose / where it applies: The ordinance contains an Old Downtown standard that explicitly requires design approval for new development, alterations and demolitions to be consistent with downtown character and historic resources policies. These are applied in addition to the general design criteria. § 18.37.040 and § 18.07.055 guide review in historic downtown. § 18.37.040 § 18.07.055
• Design‑review notes: proposed changes to designated landmarks are reviewed by the planning commission (serving as historic preservation commission) with guidance from the Secretary of the Interior standards where applicable. § 18.20.070(G) discusses guiding principles for historic resource alterations. § 18.20.070

Key ordinance design-review standards (summary table)

Practical guidance for applicants (plain‑English synthesis)

• Expect design review to be a qualitative, character‑based evaluation: reviewers check scale, materials, color palette, rooflines, site layout, landscaping, lighting and whether the project “fits” with neighbors and adopted plans. § 18.20.070
• The same design criteria are folded into different permit streams (coastal permits, PUD approvals, historic reviews). If your site is within the downtown historic area, plan on additional historic review and downtown‑specific guidelines. § 18.37.040, § 18.07.055
• District chapters explicitly require that “architectural and site and design review” be completed before building permits; do not expect plan check to proceed until design review approvals or required findings are resolved. § 18.06.080, § 18.07.060, § 18.08.060
• Prepare: context photos, elevations, materials/color samples, landscape plans, circulation/parking layouts (see Parking), and show compliance with development standards. Where energy or natural features are relevant, show solar/energy design and preservation measures as required by the design criteria. § 18.20.070

Checklist (what the applicant must satisfy before/at design review)

• Demonstrate how the project meets the design findings: harmony of architectural features, materials/colors, and site planning. § 18.20.070
• Submit scaled elevations, context photos, color/material samples, and landscape plan that preserves natural features where feasible. § 18.20.070
• Show conformance with district development standards (setbacks, height, FAR, lot coverage) or obtain required variances/exceptions with supporting findings. § 18.06.050
• Address downtown/historic‑area criteria if located in the Old Downtown / Historic Downtown area (scale, building line continuity). § 18.37.040, § 18.07.055
• Provide parking and circulation plans consistent with the parking chapter and show how on‑site parking, lighting and surfacing meet municipal standards. Parking § 18.36.055
• If proposing work on a designated historic resource, include justification per Secretary of the Interior guidelines and any required historic resource plans. § 18.20.070(G)
• Confirm whether the project needs a coastal development permit and satisfy the coastal design review findings prior to ground‑breaking. § 18.20.070

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Half Moon Bay’s zoning code makes design review a required step for many residential, commercial, downtown, PUD and public projects: reviewers must make findings about harmony of architecture, materials, site layout, circulation, natural‑feature preservation, and energy design before building permits are issued. Expect additional historic‑area rules in downtown and overlay rules (coastal/habitat) where applicable; confirm triggers and parcel‑specific requirements with planning staff. § 18.20.070, § 18.06.080, § 18.37.040

Source References

• Design review criteria and coastal findings: § 18.20.070
• Appeals and finality for coastal permits: § 18.20.075
• Residential exceptions and height/FAR findings: § 18.06.050
• Architectural & site plan review requirement (residential): § 18.06.080
• Commercial (C‑D / C‑R) intent and review requirement: § 18.07.010, § 18.07.015, § 18.07.060
• Commercial (C‑VS / C‑G) intent and review requirement: § 18.08.010, § 18.08.015, § 18.08.060
• Old downtown / downtown design and historic rules: § 18.37.040, § 18.07.055
• PUD and site/design permit references: § 18.15.015, § 18.16.040
• Parking and parking standards referenced in design review contexts: § 18.36.055

Retrieved passages

• Half Moon Bay Zoning Code (§ 18.20.070) High relevance show source text
• Half Moon Bay Zoning Code (§ 18.20.065.) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 18.06.040 (§ 18.06.040) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 2 (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Half Moon Bay Zoning Code (§ 18.06.050) High relevance show source text
• Half Moon Bay Zoning Code (title or) High relevance show source text
• Half Moon Bay Zoning Code (Title 14) High relevance show source text
• Half Moon Bay Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Design review criteria and coastal findings: **§ 18.20.070** (§ 18.20.070)
• Appeals and finality for coastal permits: **§ 18.20.075** (§ 18.20.075)
• Residential exceptions and height/FAR findings: **§ 18.06.050** (§ 18.06.050)
• Architectural & site plan review requirement (residential): **§ 18.06.080** (§ 18.06.080)
• Commercial (C‑D / C‑R) intent and review requirement: **§ 18.07.010**, **§ 18.07.015**, **§ 18.07.060** (§ 18.07.010)
• Commercial (C‑VS / C‑G) intent and review requirement: **§ 18.08.010**, **§ 18.08.015**, **§ 18.08.060** (§ 18.08.010)
• Old downtown / downtown design and historic rules: **§ 18.37.040**, **§ 18.07.055** (§ 18.37.040)
• PUD and site/design permit references: **§ 18.15.015**, **§ 18.16.040** (§ 18.15.015)
• Parking and parking standards referenced in design review contexts: **§ 18.36.055** (§ 18.36.055)
• HalfMoonBay_ZoningCode.md

• Official Half Moon Bay code library