Mono County — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Design review in Mono County applies to development in the county's unincorporated areas where the County has created a Design Review District. The County's Land Development Regulations set the framework: how a district is established, who reviews projects, minimum design standards, and the relationship between design review, site plan review, and permit issuance. Read this page as applying only to Mono County's unincorporated areas (incorporated towns have their own rules). For related procedural or technical topics see the County's pages on development standards, parking, overlay districts, signage, and the Countywide land use guidance. Design review also ties into building permits and the state code; consult California Building Standards Code for Title 24 matters and ADUs for accessory dwellings.

How Design Review works in Mono County (plain structure)

• A Design Review District is created by ordinance stating boundaries and purpose; the Board of Supervisors adopts those standards at a noticed hearing (§ 09.020) .
• The County may appoint a Design Review Committee (DRC) (3–7 residents within the district) or designate the Planning Division as the design-review body (§ 9.030.A, § 02.380) .
• Specific design-review standards for a district must at minimum comply with the County’s general design standards (§ 9.030.B, § 9.040) .
• The DRC or Planning Division reviews project applications for visual compatibility and may require changes or recommend conditions; no building permit is issued where design review is required until the project complies with the district standards (§ 9.030.D, § 9.070) .
• The County distinguishes design review from site plan review and Director Review/Use Permit processing: site plan review is a County-level review of site plans (§ 02.1060, § 04.210), and the Director/Commission processes follow Chapters 31–32 (§ 31.010–31.030, § 32.010–32.030) .

Key mandatory design-review principles (general standards)

The County requires district-specific standards but the general objectives that every design review district must address include:

• Preserve natural topography, vegetation and scenic beauty (§ 9.040.A) .
• Minimize earthwork, grading and vegetative removal; require revegetation of disturbed areas (§ 9.040.C–D) .
• Sit buildings to minimize visibility from scenic corridors; encourage clustering and muted/dark roof and wall colors where visible from State Scenic Highway 395 (§ 9.040.B, D–E) .
• Require landscaping plans, underground utilities, shielded down-directed exterior lighting and compatible signs (§ 9.040.D, I, J; Development Standards – Signs references) .
• Landscaping and screening may be required by Community Development Director where buffering or soil stabilization is needed (§ 04.160) .

District-by-district breakdown (what the ordinance provides)

Below are the County land-use designations found in Section IV. For each designation I list the ordinance-stated intent where available, typical permitted uses, key dimensional standards the Ordinance records, and whether design review applicability is explicit in the retrieved materials. Where the ordinance text for a specific designation or detailed numeric standard was not present in the retrieved excerpts I state "Not found in retrieved materials" and point to the general rule that design review standards must be adopted by the Board and can apply when the district ordinance so provides.

Note: the County uses land-use designation symbols such as RR, ER, RMH, SFR, MFR-L, MFR-M, MFR-H, RU, CL-M, CL-H, MU, C, SC, IP, I, RE, RM, AG, SAA, OS, NHP, PF, SP; these are listed in the Ordinance’s summary of land use designations (§ 03.020 and Table 04.030) .

RR (Rural Residential)

• Purpose: Not fully reproduced in retrieved materials. See Table of land use designations (§ 03.020) .
• Typical permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Design review applicability: May be subject to a Design Review District only if Board-adopted standards apply (§ 09.020, § 9.010) .

ER (Estate Residential)

• Purpose / uses / standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

RMH (Rural Mobile Home)

• Purpose: Provide for mixed uses compatible with rural lifestyles; permits mobile homes used as residences and accessory uses (§ RMH intent, permitted uses shown in the ordinance excerpts) .
• Typical permitted uses: single-family dwelling, mobile home, small-scale agriculture, accessory buildings, ADUs (per Chapter 16 references) (§ RMH permitted uses) .
• Key dimensional standards: Minimum parcel size – 1 acre (per retrieved excerpt for RMH) (§ RMH development standards) .
• Design review applicability: DRC review is required where applicable; the DRC generally reviews commercial structures, multifamily of four or more units, and signs (§ 04.260). Single-family/unit-specific review only if the district ordinance allows (§ 9.010) .

SFR (Single-Family Residential)

• Purpose and standards: Not fully reproduced in the excerpts. See Section IV and development standards references (§ 03.020, Ch. 04) .
• Design review applicability: Single-family homes may be subject to design review only if the ordinance establishing that design review district specifically provides for such review (§ 9.010) .

MFR-L / MFR-M / MFR-H (Multi-Family Residential Low / Moderate / High)

• Purpose: Provide for multiple-family housing at different densities; MFR standards and permitted uses are itemized in the ordinance excerpts (§ MFR permitted uses, development standards) .
• Typical permitted uses: Multi-unit housing, condominiums, apartments of 4+ units (listed as uses permitted subject to use permit), some lodging uses in MFR-H (§ MFR uses) .
• Key dimensional standards: Minimum lot size – 7,500 sf for single-family/duplexes; developments of three or more units measured by per-unit area; Maximum lot coverage: MFR-L 40%, MFR-M/H 60% (see ordinance excerpts) (§ MFR development standards) .
• Design review applicability: The County’s DRC generally reviews multifamily developments of four or more units; Chapter 09 states design review applies to commercial structures and multifamily residential development within the district (§ 9.010, § 04.260) .

C, SC, MU, CL-M, CL-H (Commercial / Service Commercial / Mixed Use / Commercial Lodging)

• Purpose and typical uses: Commercial and mixed uses are defined in the Table of designations (§ 03.020) and in the uses lists (not all reproduced in the excerpts) .
• Design review applicability: Commercial structures are explicitly called out as a primary subject of DRC review (§ 04.260, § 02.380) .
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials for each commercial designation—see the County’s Section IV summary sheets online. Verify with the jurisdiction.

IP, I, RE, RM, AG, SAA, OS, NHP, PF, SP (Industrial, Resource, Agricultural, Open Space, Habitat, Public Facilities, Specific Plan)

• Purpose, permitted uses, dimensional standards: Partially listed in the County’s Land Use designation table (§ 03.020); specific numeric standards and uses are in the designation summary sheets not fully reproduced in the retrieved material .
• Design review applicability: Not automatically applied in every designation; if a Design Review District overlaps these designations the Board’s ordinance and adopted standards determine applicability (§ 9.020–9.030) .

If you need a parcel-specific answer about whether a particular APN is in a design review district or which numeric setbacks apply, the ordinance excerpts do not include parcel maps or all numeric standards; Verify with the jurisdiction.

Quick reference table — most decision-relevant standards / uses

How design-review interacts with other permit processing

• If a project is exempt from CEQA and minor, the Director may process by Director Review; otherwise design-review requirements may trigger Use Permit procedures (Ch. 31–32) (§ 31.010, § 32.020) .
• Site plan review is a separate step used to evaluate access, grading, parking and site layout; the preapplication conference with the Land Development Technical Advisory Committee is recommended for larger projects (§ 04.210.A–B) .
• Landscape, parking and sign requirements from County chapters apply as conditions of design review; see the County’s parking, development standards, and signage pages for operational rules.

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy before approval in a Design Review District)

• Confirm whether the property is inside a Board-adopted Design Review District and obtain the district-specific standards (§ 09.020) .
• Prepare a full site plan (to scale) showing topography, existing vegetation, access, grading, utilities, parking and proposed structures (§ 02.1050, § 04.210) .
• Submit elevations and color/materials schedule showing muted/dark colors where visible from scenic corridors (§ 9.040.B, D–E) .
• Provide a landscaping and revegetation plan using native/drought-resistant plants where feasible (§ 9.040.D) .
• Demonstrate utilities will be installed underground when required (§ 9.040.I) .
• For lighting, provide fixtures that are shielded, down-directed and minimized (§ 9.040.J) .
• If project is commercial or multifamily (4+ units) expect DRC or Planning Division review; include DRC minutes or recommendations if a local architectural committee was involved (§ 9.030.D, § 04.260) .
• If required, complete preapplication conference documentation and any CEQA/environmental materials prior to public hearing (§ 04.210.A, § 32.030) .
• Expect conditions of approval or required design revisions; no building permit is issued until design-review compliance is demonstrable (§ 9.070) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Information Gaps

• Full numeric development standards (setbacks, heights, FAR) for many designations were not present in the retrieved excerpts — Section IV summary sheets are referenced but not fully included in the files returned here (§ 03.020) .
• Explicit sample district-standard text for named districts (e.g., June Lake design guidelines are referenced but the detailed ordinance establishing any June Lake Design Review District text was not in the retrieved materials) — see June Lake references in area-plan actions (§ Action 17.A.1.a.) .
• Parcel-specific overlay interactions (e.g., scenic combining district numeric thresholds) require cross-check with maps/ordinances not contained in the excerpts (see Scenic Combining District references) (§ 08.050–08.070) .

Plain-English summary

If your property is inside a Board-adopted Mono County Design Review District, the County (either a Design Review Committee or Planning Division) will check your site plan, colors, landscaping, lighting, and grading to make sure your project fits the district’s design rules; no building permit will be issued until the project meets those rules (§ 09.020–9.070) .

Source References

• Mono County Land Development Regulations — Chapter 09: Design Review District (§ 09.010–9.080) .
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — General Design Standards (§ 9.040) .
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — Chapter 04: Development Standards – General (Site plan review, landscaping, DRC) (§ 04.210, 04.160, 04.260) .
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — Definitions (Design Review Committee, Site plan) (§ 02.380, 02.1060) .
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — Chapters 31–32 (Director Review and Use Permit processing) (§ 31.010–31.030, 32.010–32.030) .
• Mono County Land Use Element / Area plans (June Lake, Mono Basin) — design guidance and policy references (e.g., Action 17.A.1.a; Objective 10.C) .
• Table of Land Use Designations (Section IV / Table 04.030) — list of district symbols and designations (§ 03.020) .

Retrieved passages

• Mono County Zoning Code (Section 9.040.) High relevance show source text
• Mono County Zoning Code (Section 8.03) High relevance show source text
• Mono County Zoning Code (Section 8.03) Medium relevance show source text
• Mono County Zoning Code (Chapter 9.) Medium relevance show source text
• Mono County Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Mono County Zoning Code (CHAPTER 10) Medium relevance show source text
• CWUIC § 234 Medium relevance show source text
• Mono County Zoning Code (Chapter 07) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Mono County Land Development Regulations — **Chapter 09: Design Review District** (§ **09.010–9.080**) . (Chapter 09)
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — **General Design Standards** (§ **9.040**) .
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — **Chapter 04: Development Standards – General** (Site plan review, landscaping, DRC) (§ **04.210**, **04.160**, **04.260**) . (Chapter 04)
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — **Definitions** (Design Review Committee, Site plan) (§ **02.380**, **02.1060**) .
• Mono County Land Development Regulations — **Chapters 31–32 (Director Review and Use Permit processing)** (§ **31.010–31.030**, **32.010–32.030**) .
• Mono County Land Use Element / Area plans (June Lake, Mono Basin) — design guidance and policy references (e.g., Action 17.A.1.a; Objective 10.C) .
• Table of Land Use Designations (Section IV / Table 04.030) — list of district symbols and designations (§ **03.020**) . (Section IV)
• MonoCounty_ZoningCode.md

• Official Mono County code library