Monrovia Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page explains how Monrovia regulates land use under the city's Comprehensive Zoning Law (Title 17) and where to find the rules that control districts, development standards, review paths and special plans. Monrovia organizes its rules by zone families (detailed residential, commercial and industrial districts), by chapters for citywide standards (setbacks, height, FAR, parking), and by process chapters for permits, variances and specific plans; the zoning title itself is titled the “Comprehensive Zoning Law of the City of Monrovia” § 17.04.010 . This overview highlights the actual local district names, the code chapters to read first, the main development limits you’ll encounter, the primary discretionary review routes, and how state housing law (ADU/JADU) is implemented locally.

How Monrovia's code is organized

• The zoning ordinance is Title 17 and is explicitly titled the “Comprehensive Zoning Law of the City of Monrovia” § 17.04.010 .
• The city map and district boundaries are maintained as the Official Zoning Map; the map is part of the code and is kept on file with the City Clerk § 17.04.040 .
• Administrative and decision-making roles and permit pathways live in the administration chapter: City Council duties § 17.52.010, Planning Commission powers § 17.52.020, the Development Review Committee role § 17.52.030, and the Department’s permit authority § 17.52.040 .
• The city uses a separate chapter to adopt and implement area-scale plans (Specific Plans) — see Chapter 17.54 for how specific plans are prepared, adopted and implemented § 17.54.010–.080 .

(Quick links: see Monrovia Zoning for district lists and definitions, and Monrovia Land Use for how the General Plan ties to zoning.)

Zoning district families

Monrovia divides the city into named district families; read the district list in § 17.04.030 for the authoritative list and abbreviations § 17.04.030 :

• Residential family (examples): RF (Residential Foothill), RE (Residential Estate), RL (Residential Low Density), RM4000, RM3500/PUD, RM3500, RM3000/PUD, RM3000, RM2500, RM/RH (Residential Medium/High), and RH (Residential High Density) § 17.04.030 .
• Commercial / mixed-use / industrial family (examples): NC (Neighborhood Commercial), HCD (Historic Commercial Downtown), CRS (Commercial-Regional/Subregional), RCC (Retail Corridor Commercial), RCM (Retail Corridor Mixed Use), O/RD/LM (Office/Research & Development/Light Manufacturing), BE (Business Enterprise), and M (Manufacturing) § 17.04.030 .
• Planned categories and overlays: PD (Planned Development), SP (Specific Plan areas) and community facility/open-space zones such as P/QP, HWP (Hillside Wilderness Preserve), HR (Hillside Recreation) and ANF (Angeles National Forest) § 17.04.030 .
• Where a Specific Plan applies, the specific plan’s provisions become the controlling development standards for parcels shown on the Official Zoning Map § 17.04.035 .

(If you’re looking for allowed uses by zone, consult the Use Tables in Chapter 17.08 and the use-specific references in Chapter 17.44; see Monrovia Zoning.)

Citywide development standards (high-level)

Monrovia distributes dimensional and site standards across the code by zone chapter and use-type chapters — key places to look and the actual local numbers:

• Setbacks and lot/density rules: multi-family and residential dimensional rules live in the residential chapters (for example, the RM/RH/RH tables) — typical front-yard and side/rear rules, second-story setbacks, minimum lot widths, and density calculations are contained in the multiple-family development standards § 17.12.030 and related residential zone sections § 17.12.010 (RF rules) . Example numeric rules in the code: Front yard setback: 25 ft for many RM/RH standards § 17.12.030(E)(1); bulk/FAR caps for RM and RH zones (e.g., RM/RH 40% or 75% FAR in some circumstances) § 17.12.030(D) .
• Height limits: residential RM zones often limit buildings to two stories / 27 ft (with lot-width adjustments) § 17.12.030(B); other zone-specific height limits are spelled out in each zone chapter § 17.12.030 .
• Lot coverage / FAR: the code uses explicit floor-area-ratio and lot-coverage tables in the residential chapter (e.g., FAR 40% for many RM zones; RH up to 75% in specified conditions) § 17.12.030(D) .
• Parking: Monrovia’s parking minimums and design standards are in Chapter 17.24 — for example, a two‑car garage is the baseline for single-family dwellings and multifamily parking tables and guest parking rules (additional 0.5 space per unit for 6+ unit projects, etc.) are specified in § 17.24.030 and following sections § 17.24.030–.050 . See Monrovia Parking for the details.
• Landscaping & screening: landscaping and tree-preservation obligations are in Chapter 17.20; required landscaping in street setbacks and parking-lot planting are set out in § 17.20.010–.020 . See Monrovia Landscaping and Screening.
• Design controls (form, entrances, materials): multi-family design standards (materials, orientation, entries, modulation) and neighborhood compatibility review criteria live in the residential/design chapters and neighborhood design review rules § 17.12.030(H) and neighborhood compatibility design review sections; the Development Review Committee and neighborhood design review findings and exemptions are in Chapters 17.16 and 17.52 § 17.12.030(H); § 17.52.030 . See Monrovia Development Standards and Monrovia Design Review.

Important practical note: many zone- and area-specific chapters override the general standards (for example, the West Huntington Drive corridor rules alter FAR, setbacks, heights in § 17.16.050 and the South Myrtle/Old Town Extension rules set alternate height/setback matrices) § 17.16.050; § 17.16.040 . See Monrovia Overlay Districts for the corridor rules.

Specific plans & overlays

• The city explicitly lists multiple adopted specific plans and treats the specific plan text as the controlling development standard within those areas § 17.04.035 (Peck Road, Gold Hills, Madison, 700 S Myrtle, Station Square, Avalon Monrovia, Alexan Foothills, etc.) § 17.04.035 .
• The Specific Plan chapter (Chapter 17.54) establishes content requirements (consistency with the General Plan, site standards, phasing/financing, CEQA), initiation and hearing procedures, findings required for adoption, and implementation rules § 17.54.010–.080 .
• Corridor/overlay examples you’ll see in Monrovia: West Huntington Corridor additional rules for RCC and RCM zones (including FAR 2.0 with surface parking and up to FAR 3.0 with structured/subterranean parking on certain incentives) § 17.16.050; the South Myrtle / Old Town Extension rules and the Specific Plan Overlay option with its own height/setback table are in § 17.16.040 and § 17.16.050 . See Monrovia Overlay Districts.

Building permits & review — the practical permit path

• The Department of Community Development issues building permits and certificates of occupancy subject to Title 17 requirements § 17.52.040 .
• For routine projects that meet the numeric development standards and do not require discretionary review you will typically proceed through the building permit process administered by staff; for proposals that request deviations, new uses, or development in regulated overlays you will use the discretionary tracks below:
  • Administrative discretionary decisions and conditional use permits are processed by the Planning Commission and (where applicable) reviewed by the Development Review Committee for minor exceptions § 17.52.020–.030 .
  • Variances and major discretionary approvals require findings under the variance rules (a strict showing of special circumstances) § 17.52.100 .
  • The code includes a Minor Exception process (Committee) allowing limited deviations (e.g., up to 10% increase in FAR, reductions to front setback up to 15%, side setback reductions up to 2 ft, rear up to 20%) § 17.52.110 .
  • If a project is located in a Specific Plan area it must be found consistent with the specific plan before the city may approve the building permit, map, CUP or zone amendment for that site § 17.54.080 .
• Environmental review: the city administers CEQA compliance and has adopted CEQA guidelines; environmental review requirements for projects are in § 17.52.360 and Chapter 17.52 procedures (and the city’s CEQA Guidelines) § 17.52.360 . See Monrovia Design Review for neighborhood design and review triggers.

(If you are preparing a permit application, request a pre‑application conference with the Department to identify which chapter(s) control and to confirm whether a project qualifies for the staff building-permit-only path or needs Planning Commission review § 17.52.050; § 17.54.020–.030 .)

State housing law in Monrovia

Summary: Monrovia has an explicit local ADU/JADU chapter that implements state ADU law while adding some local, code-defined standards; other state housing acts (SB 9, density bonus specifics, local rent ordinances) are not explicitly codified in the excerpts retrieved here — see the “Information Gaps” note below.

• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior ADUs (JADUs): Monrovia’s ADU rules are codified locally (the ADU/JADU provisions appear as an objective, prescriptive local chapter and cross‑referenced as § 17.44.005 and supporting divisions; the local rules permit ADUs/JADUs in single‑family and multi‑family contexts and set a clear building‑permit-only path for many ADU/JADU types) § 17.44.005(C)–(D) . Key local numeric standards that reflect state minimums and local choices include:
  • Detached ADU maximum height 16 ft (and the local rule lists a 4 ft minimum side/rear setback for detached ADUs) § 17.44.005(D)(1)(c) .
  • The code explicitly treats ADUs/JADUs as ancillary to the primary residential use (does not change base density) and prohibits conditioning ADU approvals on fixing unrelated legal nonconforming zoning issues § 17.44.005(C)(5)–(6) .
  • Parking waivers: the local ADU rules state no additional parking is required for many ADU/JADU conversions and multi‑family ADUs § 17.44.005(D)(3)(b); this mirrors (and must comply with) state ADU law. See Monrovia ADUs and California ADU law. .
  • Owner‑occupancy: Monrovia requires owner‑occupancy for a property with a JADU (owner may live in either the primary dwelling or the JADU) and requires a covenant be recorded for ADU/JADU conditions § 17.44.005(C)(8) .
• How state law interacts: where state ADU statutes impose limits (e.g., review timelines, certain setback/parking limitations), Monrovia’s ADU chapter references compliance with the California Building Code and reflects state-priority procedural rules (the local text cross-references state code requirements and adopts a “building permit only” path for qualifying ADUs) § 17.44.005(C)(2); § 17.44.005(D) . For the general state ADU reforms and their required local effects (height minimums, permitting timelines, prohibition of certain local barriers), see the California ADU law reference and the 2025 ADU handbook summary for state limits on local rules . See California ADU law and the California Building Standards Code for details.
• SB 9 / lot splits / duplex‑by‑right and density bonus: the local code excerpts provided do not show an explicit local SB 9 implementation section or a local density‑bonus chapter tied to the state density bonus statute. Monrovia’s code does include special affordable‑housing incentives and a separate affordable‑housing / incentives post (for planned affordable housing developments) § 17.44.020 but I did not find a clear local "density bonus" implementation section in the retrieved files; verify with the City for any recent ordinances implementing SB 9, local density bonus procedures or objective design standards Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the jurisdiction .
• Rent control / eviction limits: no municipal rent‑control or local rent‑stabilization code was found in the Title 17 materials provided here; confirm with the City or municipal code for Title 9/Title 17/Chapter that would cover rental regulation Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the jurisdiction.

Information Gaps

• The retrieved Title 17 excerpts include a full ADU/JADU chapter, detailed zone-by-zone dimensional tables, parking rules and specific-plan lists, but I could not find a local section explicitly labeled to implement SB 9 or a standalone density bonus ordinance in the files provided. If you need guaranteed current status for SB 9 implementation or any local density‑bonus program, ask the Community Development Department or check the City Council ordinances and the online municipal code for recently adopted ordinances (post‑2024) — the specific plan list and many zone amendments are enumerated in § 17.04.035 and Chapter 17.54 but no SB 9 tag was located in the retrieved excerpts § 17.04.035; § 17.54.010 .

Source References

• Monrovia Comprehensive Zoning Law (Title 17) — see the Title heading and district list § 17.04.010; § 17.04.030 .
• Administration & permit chapters — Chapters 17.52 (Administration), 17.54 (Specific Plans) § 17.52.010–.040; § 17.54.010–.080 .
• Residential development standards and FAR/setbacks — Chapter 17.12 § 17.12.010; § 17.12.020; § 17.12.030 .
• Parking standards — Chapter 17.24 (e.g., § 17.24.030) .
• West Huntington and South Myrtle corridor/overlay standards — § 17.16.040; § 17.16.050 .
• ADU/JADU local provisions — ADU chapter and implementing subsections (see ADU/JADU requirements and building‑permit path in § 17.44.005(C)–(D)) .
• CEQA and environmental review reference — § 17.52.360 .
• State ADU law / handbook (summary reference used to interpret state/local interaction) — California ADU handbook (2025) .