Marina Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Overview

Marina’s local zoning ordinance is codified as Title 17 ZONING of the Marina Municipal Code; it lays out district maps and the rules that control permitted uses, development standards, and discretionary review across the city (Title 17 chapters and table of contents). § 17.02.020 . The code separates district-specific chapters (for example R-1, C-1, PC, M, Airport/A-1–A-3) from citywide chapters that set standards for parking, design review, use permits, nonconforming uses and appeals. See the Title 17 chapter index for the full map of topics. § 17.02.010 .

How Marina's code is organized

• Title and purpose: The ordinance is titled “The Zoning Ordinance of the city of Marina” and states its purpose to guide growth and implement the coastal program. § 17.02.020; § 17.02.030 .
• Chapter-by-chapter structure: District rules live in separate chapters (for example Chapter 17.14 R‑1, 17.22 C‑1, 17.26 PC, 17.30 M, 17.28 Airport), while citywide standards and procedures are grouped in chapters such as 17.06 General Zoning Regulations, 17.44 Parking Requirements, 17.50 Site and Architectural Design Review, 17.48 Use Permits, 17.52 Nonconforming Uses, and 17.56 Appeals. See the Title 17 chapters listing. § 17.14.010; § 17.22.010; § 17.26.010; § 17.28.010; § 17.50.030 .
• Navigation tips: read the district chapter that covers your parcel first (e.g., R‑1 at § 17.14.010), then the cross‑cutting chapters referenced at the top of that district chapter (e.g., parking § 17.44.020, design review § 17.50.030–060, use permits Chapter 17.48). § 17.14.010; § 17.44.020; § 17.50.030 .
• For quick online navigation, consult the city’s Title 17 index where each chapter and section is listed in order. § 17.02.010 .

(The city law file that forms the basis of this page is the Marina Title 17 Zoning code; it is current through Ordinance 2017‑04 as reflected in the code extract.) .

Zoning district families

Marina organizes districts into discrete chaptered districts — each chapter gives permitted uses, conditional uses, and district‑specific development standards:

• Residential districts
  • MHR (Marina Heights Residential) — Chapter 17.13; height and open space rules and site & architectural review requirements are set out in that chapter. § 17.13.060; § 17.13.090; § 17.13.100 .
  • R‑1 (Single‑Family) — Chapter 17.14; permits one single‑family dwelling per lot and allows a guest house/secondary dwelling subject to the general ADU/secondary‑dwelling provisions in § 17.06.040. § 17.14.020; § 17.06.040 .
  • R‑2, R‑3, R‑4 (Duplex/Multiple‑family) — Chapters 17.16, 17.18, 17.20; these chapters prescribe site area, setbacks, lot coverage and maximum heights (for example R‑3 max height 35 ft, front yard 20 ft, lot coverage 60% in the chapter text). § 17.18.050–120 .
• Commercial districts
  • C‑1 (Retail Business) — Chapter 17.22; lists permitted retail and office uses, storefront standards, and mixed‑use rules. § 17.22.010–120 .
  • C‑2 (General Commercial) — Chapter 17.24 (indexed in Title 17) — see chapter table of contents. § 17.24.010 .
  • PC (Planned Commercial) — Chapter 17.26; intended for visitor‑serving coastal commercial uses and contains its own zoning permit and planning commission review process. § 17.26.010; § 17.26.100–110 .
• Industrial / business park
  • M (Industrial) — Chapter 17.30; yard, landscaping and screening rules for industry are set here (e.g., special 30‑ft yard adjacent to residential). § 17.30.100–150 .
  • BP / P (Business Park / Planned Industrial and P combining) — Chapters 17.29 / 17.31 provide business‑park standards, lot coverage, and design review requirements. § 17.31.030–050 .
• Special / overlay / combining districts
  • The code contains multiple combining or overlay types — A (Limited Agricultural Combining), B (Site and Yard Area Combining), P (Planned Industrial/Site), X (Camp Combining), T (Transitional District) and a designated Coastal Zoning chapter 17.41 that controls development in the coastal zone; these are listed in the Title 17 index. § 17.32; § 17.40; § 17.41 .
  • The airport area is captured in the Airport/A‑1–A‑3 zones and has its own rules (Chapter 17.28) for aircraft‑related uses, parking and FAA height coordination. § 17.28.010–040 .

(For a navigable overview of district names and maps, start at the city’s Marina Zoning index.) Marina Zoning

Citywide development standards

Marina keeps most cross‑cutting numeric standards and site rules in separate chapters that district chapters reference.

• Setbacks, height, lot coverage and lot size: each district chapter specifies its own front/side/rear yard, maximum height, and lot coverage (examples: R‑3 front yard 20 ft, side yard 5 ft, lot coverage 60%; PC site coverage commonly 25–30% depending on coastal rules). See the district chapters for the numeric standards: § 17.18.100–120; § 17.26.070 .
• Floor area / density controls: some districts set minimum site area per unit and density ranges (for example R‑4 minimum 15 units/acre and maximum 35 units/acre for certain conditionally permitted uses). § 17.20.075 .
• Landscaping, open space and screening: district chapters require landscaping percentages and automatic irrigation systems in certain zones (see § 17.13.080 for MHR open space and § 17.30.140 for industrial landscaping). § 17.13.080; § 17.30.140 .
• Parking: parking standards are centralized in Chapter 17.44 (parking requirements); district chapters routinely redirect to § 17.44.020 for specific vehicle and bicycle parking calculations and reductions (e.g., reduced parking for senior housing or high‑density near transit). § 17.44.020; § 17.44 (general) . Marina Development Standards and Marina Parking

Design review and discretionary controls

• Site and architectural design review is a consolidated process in Chapter 17.50; many district chapters (for example MHR, P, PC) explicitly require site & architectural design review as a precondition to permits or development. § 17.50.030–060; § 17.13.100; § 17.31.040 . Marina Design Review
• Use permits and conditional uses are governed by Chapter 17.48, and many chapters list conditional uses that require a use permit (for example massage businesses, adult uses, and certain commercial or institutional uses). § 17.27.050; Chapter 17.48 .
• Appeals, revocation and enforcement routes are provided in Chapters 17.56 (Appeals) and 17.60 (Enforcement—Penalties). § 17.56; § 17.60 .

(Design review and discretionary controls are applied at the planning commission or design board level as specified in the chapters cited.) § 17.26.110; § 17.31.040 .

Specific plans & overlays

• Coastal-specific rules: the code contains a Coastal Zoning chapter (17.41) with coastal development permit rules, findings that must be made for coastal permits (including view corridors, shoreline setbacks, habitat protection, and coastal access requirements), and appeal procedures to the California Coastal Commission for actions inside the local coastal appeals zone. § 17.41; § 17.41 (coastal permit findings) . Marina Overlay Districts
• Airport and business‑park special plans: the Marina Municipal Airport and Business Park are regulated through the Airport/A‑1–A‑3 chapters and the BP/P combining districts, which include special building, parking and FAA coordination rules. § 17.28.010; § 17.31.010–050 .
• Planned Commercial (PC) functions like a specific‑plan style chapter: Chapter 17.26 allows the planning commission to adopt general development plans and requires that uses comply with adopted development plans; zoning permits in PC are subject to planning commission oversight. § 17.26.020; § 17.26.100–110 .

Building permits & the review path (practical orientation)

• Typical steps to build or change use

  1. Confirm parcel zone and read the district chapter for permitted uses and standards (e.g., § 17.14.010 for R‑1). § 17.14.010 .
  2. Check cross‑cutting rules: parking (§ 17.44.020), design review (§ 17.50.030–060), landscaping (see district or § 17.30.140). § 17.44.020; § 17.50.030 .
  3. Determine whether the project is ministerial (zoning permit, building permit) or discretionary (use permit, coastal development permit, site & architectural review). Many districts require a zoning permit for permitted uses (see § 17.26.100 for the PC example), and use permits are handled under Chapter 17.48. § 17.26.100; Chapter 17.48 .
  4. If in the coastal zone, a coastal development permit may be required; the planning commission makes coastal findings and decisions can be appealed to the Coastal Commission in the appeals zone. § 17.41 (coastal permit provisions) .
  5. Building permits are processed through the city’s building division and must comply with the statewide California Building Standards Code (Title 24); local zoning determines land‑use approval before building permits are issued. (Local adoption of the building code is not contained in the Title 17 excerpts provided here — verify with the city’s building department.) § 17.02.030 . California Building Standards Code

• Key procedural citations: zoning permit model in § 17.26.100–110, parking referenced at § 17.44.020, site & architectural review in § 17.50.030–060, use permits in Chapter 17.48, and appeals in Chapter 17.56. § 17.26.100–110; § 17.44.020; § 17.50.030–060; Chapter 17.48; Chapter 17.56 .

State housing law in Marina

Marina’s Title 17 pre‑dates many recent state housing reforms in the excerpts provided; below is how the municipal code ties to state law and what the local code explicitly contains or references.

• ADUs / secondary dwellings: Marina allows “guest houses or secondary dwellings pursuant to the provisions of § 17.06.040” in R‑1 but notes coastal‑zone limitations for secondary dwellings where the California Coastal Commission must approve. § 17.14.020; § 17.06.040 . For state ADU law details and permit obligations consult California ADU law; locally check § 17.06.040 and planning counter practice. Marina ADUs California ADU law
• Density bonus / affordable housing: Title 17 contains an Affordable Housing chapter (17.45) and local inclusionary/incentive references in district chapters (e.g., inclusionary requirement referenced in § 17.22.110 for C‑1). Specific state density bonus mechanics are not reproduced in the Title 17 excerpts here — consult Chapter 17.45 and the planning department for how state density bonus law is implemented locally. § 17.22.110; Chapter 17.45 . California housing laws
• SB 9 / lot splits and duplexes on single‑family lots: the Title 17 materials provided do not show an SB 9 implementing amendment; the code currently regulates residential lot area, unit counts and conversions in the R‑district chapters (e.g., R‑4 density limits in § 17.20.075). Because SB 9 is a state statute that may require conforming updates, confirm current local practice with the planning department — not found in the retrieved Title 17 excerpts. § 17.20.075 .
• Rent control / local rent regulation: there is no rent‑control ordinance text within Title 17 (Title 17 is a zoning title); no Marina rent‑control provisions were found in the Title 17 excerpts—verify with city clerk or municipal code outside Title 17. Not found in retrieved materials. .

Practical notes and developer tips

• Always start with the parcel’s zoning chapter (e.g., § 17.14.010 for R‑1, § 17.22.010 for C‑1) because those chapters list permitted/conditional uses, setbacks, heights, and any district‑specific site review triggers. § 17.14.010; § 17.22.010 .
• If your project modifies parking, consult Chapter 17.44 (see the cross‑references in most district chapters). § 17.44.020 . Marina Parking
• If your site is in the coastal zone or near the Marina shoreline, expect additional findings and possible Coastal Commission appeal rights under Chapter 17.41. § 17.41 (coastal permit findings and appeals) .
• Projects in the Airport/A‑zones need to follow the airport chapter’s special parking, setback, and FAA coordination rules. § 17.28.010–040 .

Information gaps (what was not found in the retrieved materials)

• Full text of Chapter 17.44 (complete numerical parking schedule) was frequently referenced by district chapters but the complete parking matrix text was not included in the excerpts I reviewed — consult Chapter 17.44 directly at the city or planning counter. § 17.44.020 .
• Local implementing language for recent state laws (SB 9 lot‑split/ministerial duplex, recent ADU automatic approvals, and specific density‑bonus procedures tied to state law) did not appear in the Title 17 excerpts provided — confirm whether the city adopted implementing ordinances after Ordinance 2017‑04. Not found in retrieved materials. .
• The municipal code excerpts do not show the city’s explicit administrative procedures for building permits or the local adoption citation for the state building code (Title 24) — verify with the building division for current building‑code adoption and permitting flow. Not found in retrieved materials. . California Building Standards Code

Source References

• Marina Municipal Code — Title 17 ZONING (chapter index and district chapters referenced throughout this page). See chapter index and individual chapters (e.g., 17.02.010, 17.14.010, 17.22.010, 17.26.010, 17.28.010, 17.31.030, 17.41) for the controlling text. .
• Specific district and standard citations used above: § 17.14.020, § 17.06.040, § 17.18.050–120, § 17.20.075, § 17.26.070–110, § 17.28.010–040, § 17.31.030–060, § 17.50.030–060, § 17.44.020. .