Lomita — Zoning

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Lomita's Zoning Ordinance actually requires about zoning districts, the zoning map, and the development standards that apply in each district. It is drawn from the City’s Zoning Ordinance (Title XI, Chapter 1) and points you to the exact controlling code sections you must check for parcel‑specific details. See the city's general zoning & planning overview for broader context.

How Lomita organizes zoning (big picture)

• The city's official list of zoning districts is adopted in § 11-1.20.01; districts include A-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, PL, DC, NC, CC, RC, M-C, and an H (housing) overlay . See § 11-1.20.01.
• The City’s Zoning Map is adopted by reference (it is not printed into the ordinance text) and is the legal map that assigns those districts to parcels; the adoption statement is in § 11-1.20.02 .
• Where a map boundary is unclear, the ordinance gives rules for resolving boundary uncertainty in § 11-1.20.03 (lot lines, centerlines, vacated streets, etc.) .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the Lomita districts that appear in the code. Each subsection gives the ordinance-stated purpose, typical permitted uses, and the primary dimensional/development standards you must check. Validate everything against the cited § for your parcel; for parcel-specific questions, verify with the City.

Note: first time each related topic is mentioned, the page links to the City's complementary policy pages: Development Standards, Parking, Design Review, Overlay Districts, ADUs, Nonconforming Uses, and the California Building Standards Code.

A-1 (Residential — Agriculture)

• Purpose: To allow low-density residential with agricultural/open uses consistent with the General Plan's agricultural/residential intent (designation appears in Article 30) — see § 11-1.30.00 and the zone list § 11-1.20.01 .
• Typical permitted uses: Accessory structures, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), farm pets and limited agricultural pursuits as listed in Table 11-1.30.A (see § 11-1.30.01) ; ADUs are authorized subject to Section § 11-1.30.06 (see also the city's ADU guidance) .
• Key dimensional standards: Maximum density up to 10.89 du/acre, minimum lot area 5,000 sq ft, minimum lot width 50', maximum principal building height 27', front setback 20'-0", side 5'-0", rear 20'-0" — see Table 11-1.30.B and Sec. § 11-1.30.02 .

R-1 (Residential — Low density)

• Purpose: Provide typical single‑family lots and transition housing types; designation given in § 11-1.30.00 and list in § 11-1.20.01 .
• Typical permitted uses: Single-family dwellings, ADUs/JADUs, accessory structures, home occupations (see Table 11-1.30.A, § 11-1.30.01) .
• Key dimensional standards: Maximum density 10.89 du/acre, min lot area 5,000 sq ft, min lot width 50', max height 27', front setback 20'-0", side 5'-0", rear 20'-0" (Table 11-1.30.B / § 11-1.30.02) . Note special height limit for properties south of Pacific Coast Highway: 16 feet / 1 story unless a height variation is granted (see § 11-1.30.02 notes and § 11-1.70.11) .

R-2 (Residential — Medium density)

• Purpose & uses: Designed for duplexes/two-unit and small multifamily; permitted uses listed in Table 11-1.30.A (multifamily generally requires review) — see § 11-1.30.01 and § 11-1.30.00 .
• Dimensional standards: Max density 19.79 du/acre, min lot area 5,000 sq ft, lot width 50', principal height 27', setbacks as 20'-0" front, 5'-0" side, 20'-0" rear per Table 11-1.30.B (Sec. § 11-1.30.02) . Urban lot splits, two-unit standards, and planned residential development have additional special standards (see § 11-1.30.15—.17) .

R-3 (Residential — High density)

• Purpose & uses: Higher-density multifamily; multifamily permitted with site-plan/conditional review (see § 11-1.30.01 and § 11-1.30.00) .
• Dimensional standards: Max density 43.6 du/acre, min lot area 5,000 sq ft, principal height 35', front 20'-0", side 5'-0", rear 20'-0" (Table 11-1.30.B / § 11-1.30.02) . Mixed rules for accessory structures/ADUs apply (see § 11-1.30.05–.06) .

PL (Publicly owned land)

• Purpose: Public facilities and civic uses; uses and standards are defined within the use tables and other applicable development standards (see list § 11-1.20.01 and uses in Article 30) .

DC (Downtown Commercial), NC (Neighborhood Commercial), CC (Community Commercial), RC (Regional Commercial)

• Purpose: Commercial zones are intended for retail, services, and mixed-use where allowed. The commercial development standards (lot sizes, FAR, height, setbacks) are in Table 11-1.42.A and § 11-1.42.01 .
• Typical permitted uses: Vary by district; non-residential uses and specific allowed uses are listed in the commercial articles and use tables (see Article 42, § 11-1.42.01). Mixed‑use residential is allowed through Conditional Use Permit and must meet the mixed‑use development standards in § 11-1.43.05 and Table 11-1.43.B (density ranges, FAR, heights) .
• Key dimensional summary from the code: lot area min 5,000–10,000 sq ft (district dependent), FAR 1:1, building height typically 35' in DC/NC/CC and up to 60' in some RC mixed‑use settings; front/street side setbacks often 0' with minimum rear/side adjacency buffers to residential set at 10'-0" — see § 11-1.42.01 and § 11-1.43.05 .

M-C (Manufacturing‑Commercial)

• Purpose: Industrial, light manufacturing that can coexist with commercial uses; standards and permitted uses are in the industrial/commercial articles (see the zoning list § 11-1.20.01) . Check Article 42 for precise allowed uses and development standards.

H (Housing Overlay)

• Purpose: An overlay to allow/incentivize housing strategies (e.g., density bonuses or development incentives). The ordinance lists an H overlay in the zones list § 11-1.20.01; development incentives / affordable housing requirements appear in lot consolidation and incentive chapters (see Article 53) — see § 11-1.20.01 and the lot consolidation & incentives sections (e.g., § 11-1.53.09–.10) .

O-S (Open Space & Recreation — Special Purpose Zone)

• Purpose: Preserve recreation and natural resources consistent with the General Plan and California Open Space Lands Act; established in § 11-1.25.02 and further defined at § 11-1.26.01 . Uses and incentives for special-purpose development are described in Article 25–26.

Specific Plans & Overlay Areas

• The City adopts Specific Plans (map and text) that override or supplement base zone standards where applicable — e.g., the 24000 Crenshaw Boulevard Specific Plan is in Article 27 with its own setbacks, height, density, and open‑space rules (see § 11-1.27.01–.06) .
• Overlay districts and how they layer over base zones are covered in overlay articles; see Overlay Districts and the ordinance sections that create overlays (see § 11-1.20.01 for the H overlay) .

Quick decision-relevant table

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for a typical project)

• Confirm the parcel’s base zoning district on the official Zoning Map (Zoning Map is adopted by reference in § 11-1.20.02) .
• Confirm permitted uses in the applicable use table (e.g., residential uses in § 11-1.30.01, commercial uses in § 11-1.42.01) and whether a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or Minor CUP is required (see § 11-1.30.01, § 11-1.42.01, and § 11-1.70.09) .
• Meet the district development standards (setbacks, height, lot area, lot width, FAR) as shown in Table 11-1.30.B (residential) or Table 11-1.42.A (commercial) — § 11-1.30.02 and § 11-1.42.01 ; see the City’s Development Standards.
• Provide parking and loading per Article 66 — see Parking and the ordinance references in § 11-1.42.01 and related tables .
• If changes to setbacks or standard numeric rules are needed, apply for Modifications (findings in § 11-1.70.08) or Variance (Article 70) .
• If discretionary review applies (site plan review, CUP, modification), complete public notice and hearing procedures as set out in § 11-1.70.05–.09 and related notice rules (public notice radius, posting) .
• For mixed‑use projects, confirm compliance with mixed‑use standards in § 11-1.43.05 and Table 11-1.43.B (density/FAR/height/open space) .
• If the lot crosses multiple zones, follow the lot‑area/width rules for the most restrictive part (see lot rules in Sec. 11-2 provisions) .
• Verify if the parcel is subject to a Specific Plan (e.g., 24000 Crenshaw) or overlays; Specific Plan provisions supersede base zone where provided (see Article 27 and Overlay Districts) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Lomita’s Zoning Ordinance assigns each parcel a legal zoning district (listed in § 11-1.20.01) and uses an adopted Zoning Map (adopted by reference in § 11-1.20.02) to show where those districts apply; each district has a table of permitted uses and numeric development standards (setbacks, heights, density, FAR) that you must follow or obtain a permit to change. Verify your parcel on the official map and then read the precise rules in the cited sections before you design or apply for permits .

Information Gaps

• Official Zoning Map image/URL: Not found in retrieved materials; § 11-1.20.02 adopts the map but the map graphic was not included in the retrieved code excerpts — Verify with the City. .
• Full commercial and industrial use tables (complete permitted‑use lists for DC/NC/CC/RC/M‑C): Partially summarized in § 11-1.42.01, but full use lists and cross‑references to other articles are not fully printed in the retrieved snippets — Review Article 42 and the specific use tables at Planning Department. .
• Parcel‑specific overlays or pending rezonings: Not determinable from the ordinance text alone — Verify parcel status, overlays, and any pending Zoning Map amendments with the Community Development Department (see § 11-1.70.05 on amendments) .

Source References

• Zoning districts list and zoning map adoption: § 11-1.20.01; § 11-1.20.02; § 11-1.20.03 — Lomita Zoning Ordinance (Title XI, Chapter 1) .
• Residential zones purpose, uses, and development standards (Tables 11-1.30.A & 11-1.30.B): § 11-1.30.00; § 11-1.30.01; § 11-1.30.02 — residential tables and notes .
• Commercial zone development standards (Table 11-1.42.A): § 11-1.42.01 — commercial standards and references to parking/design rules .
• Mixed‑use development standards and Table 11-1.43.B: § 11-1.43.05 — mixed‑use density, FAR, massing rules .
• Specific Plan: 24000 Crenshaw Boulevard Specific Plan, § 11-1.27.01–.06 (location, permitted uses, setbacks, height) .
• Zoning amendment and procedural rules (initiating/approving rezones and map changes): § 11-1.70.05; § 11-1.70.06; § 11-1.70.08 (modifications) — administrative and hearing procedures .
• Source print export: Lomita, California — Title XI Planning & Zoning (Municipal Code print export) — multiple sections as cited above (print export metadata) .

Retrieved passages

• Lomita Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Lomita Zoning Code (Article 20.) High relevance show source text
• Lomita Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Lomita Zoning Code (section 11-) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 3 (Article 27.) Medium relevance show source text
• Lomita Zoning Code (section 11-1.70.08) Medium relevance show source text
• Lomita Zoning Code (Article 70) Medium relevance show source text
• Lomita Zoning Code (Article 70) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Zoning districts list and zoning map adoption: § 11-1.20.01; § 11-1.20.02; § 11-1.20.03 — Lomita Zoning Ordinance (Title XI, Chapter 1) . (§ 11-1.20.01)
• Residential zones purpose, uses, and development standards (Tables 11-1.30.A & 11-1.30.B): § 11-1.30.00; § 11-1.30.01; § 11-1.30.02 — residential tables and notes . (§ 11-1.30.00)
• Commercial zone development standards (Table 11-1.42.A): § 11-1.42.01 — commercial standards and references to parking/design rules . (§ 11-1.42.01)
• Mixed‑use development standards and Table 11-1.43.B: § 11-1.43.05 — mixed‑use density, FAR, massing rules . (§ 11-1.43.05)
• Specific Plan: **24000 Crenshaw Boulevard Specific Plan**, § 11-1.27.01–.06 (location, permitted uses, setbacks, height) . (§ 11-1.27.01)
• Zoning amendment and procedural rules (initiating/approving rezones and map changes): § 11-1.70.05; § 11-1.70.06; § 11-1.70.08 (modifications) — administrative and hearing procedures . (§ 11-1.70.05)
• Source print export: Lomita, California — Title XI Planning & Zoning (Municipal Code print export) — multiple sections as cited above (print export metadata) . (Title XI)
• Lomita_ZoningCode.md

• Official Lomita code library