Lemoore — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Lemoore Zoning Ordinance (commonly organized as Title 9) says about permitted uses, conditional/administrative uses, and the land-use tables that control what may be built where. The controlling rules are in the Land Uses article (Article B of Chapter 4) and the district development standards (Chapter 5, Article A/B); use entitlements (P / A / C / N) are assigned in Table 9-4B-2. See the code for detail on individual use definitions, special-use standards (e.g., ADUs), and downtown/mixed‑use chapters. § references below point to the ordinance text in the retrieved materials .

How to read Lemoore's land-use rules (quick)

• Allowed uses for each base zoning district are shown in Table 9-4B-2; the table uses P = permitted by right, A = administrative use permit required, C = conditional use permit required, and N = not permitted (§ 9-4B-2) .
• If a use is not listed, it is not permitted unless the Planning Director makes a Similar Use Determination (§ 9-2B-7) .
• Conditional use approvals follow the Conditional Use Permit rules and findings in § 9-2B-14 (Planning Commission, public hearing, findings required) .
• District-specific dimensional standards (setbacks, lot area, height, coverage) appear in Table 9-5A-4A and 9-5A-4B (general district development standards) and in downtown and mixed-use chapters where applicable (§ 9-5A-4; ch. 6, ch. 7) .

You will also need to check related rules that the ordinance references, such as special use standards (Article D), site plan and design review, and overlay district rules (see links to the city's pages for parking, design review, overlays, ADUs, etc.). For example, parking rules interact with allowed uses and parking standards are separately codified; see the city's parking page for procedural guidance on parking submittals parking.

District-by-district breakdown (purpose, typical permitted uses, key dimensional standards, where it applies)

Note: every district name below is an official Lemoore zoning symbol; permitted/conditional status for particular uses lives in Table 9-4B-2 (§ 9-4B-2) and definitions live in § 9-4A-5. Citations point to the ordinance excerpts in the retrieved materials.

AR — Agriculture and Rural Residential

• Purpose: Rural single-family and agricultural parcels with large minimum parcel sizes (parcel sizes > 40,000 sq ft) and low densities (≈ 0.05 – 0.2 units/acre) (§ 9-3-2) .
• Typical permitted uses: single-family residences, agricultural operations and accessory agricultural structures; specifics in Table 9-4B-2 (§ 9-4B-2) .
• Key dimensional standards: minimum lot size 40,000 sq ft, minimum front yard generally 60' (see Table 9-5A-4A / § 9-5A-4) .
• Where it applies: designated on the official zoning map consistent with § 9-3-3 .

RVLD — Very Low Density Residential

• Purpose: Transition between rural and urban single-family areas; lot sizes 10,000–40,000 sq ft; density 1–3 du/acre (§ 9-3-2) .
• Typical permitted uses: single-family homes, accessory dwellings subject to ADU rules (§ 9-4D-12) .
• Key dimensional standards: minimum lot size 10,000 sq ft, front setback ~25' (see Table 9-5A-4A) .

RLD — Low Density Residential

• Purpose: Conventional single-family subdivisions; lot sizes ~5,000–15,000 sq ft and density 3–7 du/acre (§ 9-3-2) .
• Typical permitted uses: single-family, accessory structures, ADUs (see § 9-4D-12) .
• Key dimensional standards: minimum lot size 5,000 sq ft, front setback ~15', max height listed in Table 9-5A-4A (§ 9-5A-4) .

RN — Traditional Neighborhood Residential

• Purpose: Older/historic neighborhood pattern; smaller lots and pedestrian orientation (§ 9-3-2) .
• Typical permitted uses: single-family, small‑scale residential conversions, accessory units; downtown conversion rules in Chapter 6 (conversion of residences to nonresidential uses) apply in downtown zones (§ 9-6-7) .
• Key dimensional standards: smaller lot sizes and relaxed front/setback rules as enumerated in Table 9-5A-4A (§ 9-5A-4) .

MU — Mixed Use

• Purpose: Integrate residential, commercial and office uses on contiguous mixed‑use sites; designed for flexibility (§ 9-7-1) .
• Typical permitted uses: combinations of residential, retail, office, small commercial (Table 9-4B-2 controls exact mix) (§ 9-4B-2) .
• Key dimensional standards: Mixed‑use development standards (conceptual plan, connectivity, density incentives) are in Chapter 7 (e.g., density up to 20 du/acre in centers; see § 9-7-4 and § 9-7-5) .
• Where it applies: five mixed‑use centers defined in § 9-7-1 (Bush/College, 19th/Iona, East D/Bush, Lemoore/Cinnamon, Hanford/41) .

DMX-1 / DMX-2 / DMX-3 — Downtown Mixed Use (core, auto, transitional)

• Purpose: Downtown form‑based zoning with frontage/build‑to and pedestrian orientation (§ 9-6-1) .
• Typical permitted uses: retail, restaurants, offices, compatible residential above first floor (per Table 9-4B-2) (§ 9-4B-2) .
• Key dimensional standards: Downtown base standards include build-to lines and minimum/maximum setbacks (Front 0' in DMX‑1 and DMX‑2; DMX‑3 front setback 15'), and height limits given in Table 9-6-2-A1 and 9-6-2-B1 (structure heights like 16'–40' max in DMX‑1) (§ 9-6-2) .
• Where it applies: mapped downtown core and adjacent blocks per the zoning map and Chapter 6 (§ 9-6-1) .

NC / RC / PO — Neighborhood Commercial / Regional Commercial / Professional Office

• Purpose: NC for small-scale neighborhood convenience commerce; RC for large-format retail and motels; PO for professional and medical offices (§ 9-3-2) .
• Typical permitted uses: retail and restaurants in NC and RC (subject to Table 9-4B-2); churches and compatible multi-family allowed in PO (§ 9-3-2; § 9-4B-2) .
• Key dimensional standards: See Table 9-5A-4B for front setbacks, parking access, and lot coverage (e.g., front setback may be 0' in NC, 0' in RC, 25' in PO; maximum lot coverage values are shown in the table) (§ 9-5A-4) .

ML / MH — Light Industrial / Heavy Industrial

• Purpose: ML for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution with ancillary office; MH for heavier manufacturing, processing and outdoor yards (no retail) (§ 9-3-2) .
• Typical permitted uses: industrial uses, warehousing, distribution (some outdoor storage allowed subject to special standards § 9-4D-17) .
• Key dimensional standards: industrial districts have larger lot minimums (e.g., 20,000 sq ft), height allowances up to 60' where noted, and specific separation/setback rules (see Table 9-5A-4B) (§ 9-5A-4) .

SP — Specific Plan

• Purpose: Enables master-planned districts with their own allowed uses and standards. Lemoore currently has the SP framework but may have no adopted specific plan parcels; where adopted, the specific plan controls in conflict situations (§ 9-4A-2) .

Overlay Districts (PUD, NASL)

• PUD (Planned Unit Development): allows tailored modifications to setbacks, height, density through a PUD permit (§ 9-3-2) .
• NASL (Naval Air Station Lemoore Overlay): applies to the military influence area west of SR‑41; establishes special limits such as height cap of 150', indoor noise attenuation requirements where CNEL >65 dB, and overlay area categories I–III; see § 9-9C-1 – 9-9C-3 for requirements and applicability .

Representative decision‑relevant snapshot table

How permits and special standards interact (practical guidance)

• Use the land‑use table Table 9-4B-2 (§ 9-4B-2) as the starting point: it tells you whether your proposed use is P / A / C / N in a district .
• If you see A (administrative use) you apply for an administrative use permit; these are ministerial and the Planning Director is the approving authority (§ 9-2B-16 and related admin use text) .
• If a use is marked C, prepare for a conditional use permit: public notice, Planning Commission hearing, and the four findings in § 9-2B-14 must be made (consistency with General Plan, no detrimental impacts, site suitability, compatibility with district intent) .
• Many uses also trigger special standards in Article D (e.g., alcoholic beverage sales § 9-4D-2, ADUs § 9-4D-12, outdoor storage § 9-4D-17); comply with those standards even when the use is otherwise “P” in the table .
• For design/appearance issues, anticipate site plan and architectural review where required (§ 9-2B-12); downtown and mixed‑use districts have additional design chapters (Chapter 6 & 7) referencing build‑to and frontage standards .

Linking to other Lemoore pages you will need during a submittal: use the city pages for parking, design review, overlay districts, ADUs, signage, nonconforming uses, variances and exceptions, and consult the California Building Standards Code for building code requirements.

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

• Confirm base zoning and any overlays on the parcel (official zoning map; § 9-3-3) .
• Verify whether the proposed land use is P / A / C / N in Table 9-4B-2 (§ 9-4B-2) .
• If A or C, prepare application materials for the administrative use permit or conditional use permit in accordance with § 9-2B‑14 (findings) and processing rules (§ 9-2B) .
• Check all applicable special‑use rules in Article D (e.g., ADUs § 9-4D-12, alcoholic sales § 9-4D-2) and include required supplemental materials .
• Run dimensional compliance against Table 9-5A-4A / 9-5A-4B (setbacks, height, lot coverage) and note any need for minor deviations (≤ 10%) or variances (§ 9-2B-11; § 9-2B-16) .
• Prepare materials for site plan and architectural review where required (§ 9-2B-12) and address frontage/downtown rules if in DMX zones (§ 9-6‑2) .
• Confirm parking calculations and stall layout per the parking rules parking and the development standards tables (§ 9-5A-4B) .
• If property falls in the NASL overlay, meet the noise and height requirements in § 9-9C-3 (indoor noise attenuation and 150' height cap) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Lemoore’s zoning code assigns every parcel to a base zoning district (AR, RLD, RN, MU, NC, ML, etc.) and uses Table 9-4B-2 (§ 9-4B-2) to show whether specific uses are allowed by right, need an administrative permit, require a conditional use permit, or are prohibited; dimensional rules (setbacks, heights, lot coverage) are in the development standards tables (Table 9-5A-4A/4B) and downtown/mixed‑use chapters override standard rules where mapped (§ 9-5A-4; ch. 6 & 7) .

Source References

• Table 9-4B-2, Allowed Uses and Required Entitlements for Base Zoning Districts — § 9-4B-2 (Lemoore zoning code excerpts) .
• Allowed land uses, definitions and use classification rules — § 9-4A-3 and § 9-4A-5 .
• Conditional Use Permit requirements and findings — § 9-2B-14 .
• Development Standards by zoning district and district tables (Tables 9-5A-4A / 9-5A-4B) — § 9-5A-4 and supporting tables .
• Downtown Mixed Use development (build‑to lines, setbacks, heights) — Chapter 6, § 9-6-1, § 9-6-2 and tables 9-6-2-A1 / 9-6-2-B1 .
• Mixed Use standards and mixed‑use centers — Chapter 7, § 9-7-1 through § 9-7-5 (density and connectivity) .
• ADU development standards (ADUs, JADUs, tiny homes) — § 9-4D-12 and Table 9-4D-12-A .
• NASL overlay (Naval Air Station Lemoore) — § 9-9C-1 through § 9-9C-3 (applicability, height and noise attenuation) .
• Similar Use Determination and permit processing articles (general permit procedures, minor deviations, site plan review) — § 9-2B (various subsections) .

If you want, I can prepare a parcel‑specific checklist: give me the parcel APN or address and I will confirm base zone, overlays, and the key lines in Table 9-4B-2 that apply. Verify with the City for any interpretation questions or boundary uncertainties (e.g., overlay edges or specific plan areas) — zoning maps and determinations are parcel-specific (§ 9-3-3) .

Retrieved passages

• Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-2B-7) High relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-4B-2) High relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (article C) High relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (chapter 2) High relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-2A-6) High relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (ARTICLE C.) High relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-4D-6) Medium relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (Chapter 4) Medium relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (chapter for) Medium relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (chapter 3) Medium relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (title for) Medium relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (section establish) Medium relevance show source text
• Lemoore Zoning Code (ARTICLE C.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Table 9-4B-2, Allowed Uses and Required Entitlements for Base Zoning Districts — § 9-4B-2 (Lemoore zoning code excerpts) . (§ 9-4B-2)
• Allowed land uses, definitions and use classification rules — § 9-4A-3 and § 9-4A-5 . (§ 9-4A-3)
• Conditional Use Permit requirements and findings — § 9-2B-14 . (§ 9-2B-14)
• Development Standards by zoning district and district tables (Tables 9-5A-4A / 9-5A-4B) — § 9-5A-4 and supporting tables . (§ 9-5A-4)
• Downtown Mixed Use development (build‑to lines, setbacks, heights) — Chapter 6, § 9-6-1, § 9-6-2 and tables 9-6-2-A1 / 9-6-2-B1 . (Chapter 6)
• Mixed Use standards and mixed‑use centers — Chapter 7, § 9-7-1 through § 9-7-5 (density and connectivity) . (Chapter 7)
• ADU development standards (ADUs, JADUs, tiny homes) — § 9-4D-12 and Table 9-4D-12-A . (§ 9-4D-12)
• NASL overlay (Naval Air Station Lemoore) — § 9-9C-1 through § 9-9C-3 (applicability, height and noise attenuation) . (§ 9-9C-1)
• Similar Use Determination and permit processing articles (general permit procedures, minor deviations, site plan review) — § 9-2B (various subsections) . (§ 9-2B)
• Lemoore_ZoningCode.md

• Official Lemoore code library