Mountain View — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Mountain View’s zoning code centralizes design review and the related development-review process in Chapter 36. The zoning administrator is charged with establishing the design-review procedures for site, architectural and landscape design (§ 36.44.20) . Triggers, decision standards and appeal paths are spread across district rules (residential, commercial, industrial, planned community) and the development-review and findings rules (notably §§ 36.44.45 and 36.44.70) . This page summarizes what the Mountain View Zoning Ordinance requires about design/architectural/site plan review and where to find the controlling code language.

Note: for related topics mentioned below see the city pages for design review and zoning; the first mention of each relevant topic is linked: design review, development standards, parking, overlay districts, ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code.

How Mountain View organizes Design Review (key rules)

• The zoning administrator must establish the procedural framework for review of site, architectural and landscape design; the procedures must include delegation to a deputy zoning administrator, use of outside architect consultant(s) and regularly scheduled public meetings (§ 36.44.20) .
• The development-review process is the city’s operational trigger for design-level review for many permit types; the zoning administrator oversees development review and may take final action or forward recommendations to the council depending on the permit type (§ 36.44.45 and related provisions) .
• Approvals must be supported by written findings addressing general design considerations, architectural compatibility, site layout, landscaping, circulation/parking integration, and CEQA compliance (§ 36.44.70) .

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

Note: below each district name is bolded and every code requirement is cited to the controlling §. If you need parcel-specific applicability, verify with the zoning administrator.

R1 (Residential—Single-Family)

• Purpose: single-family residential pattern and standards for lot/structure design—new uses and alterations governed by the R1 regulations (§ 36.10.10) .
• Typical permitted uses: single‑family dwellings, accessory uses and structures (subject to accessory rules) and accessory dwelling units complying with the ADU rules (§§ 36.10.10; 36.12.35; ADU rules § 36.12.60–36.12.120 as referenced in § 36.06.50) file.
• Design-review triggers: certain changes are subject to development review (for minor vs. major work see the development-review rules); single-family additions that request FAR exceptions or other deviations will be routed through development review (§ 36.10.25; see development review procedures) file.
• Key standards (typical): minimum lot area and width by suffix (e.g., 6,000 sf / 60 ft for base R1), formulaic FAR (e.g., FAR = 0.50 − (0.00001 × Lot Area) with caps), front setback 20 ft standard first-floor wall (see table), height limits and lot-coverage limits (see § 36.10.25 for full table) (§§ 36.10.15, 36.10.25) file.
• Where it applies: all parcels mapped R1 on the official zoning map (map symbol examples R1-7, R1-8, etc.) (§ 36.04 and § 36.10.10) file.

R2 (One- and Two-Family)

• Purpose/uses: allows one- and two-family housing and accessory uses; standards in § 36.10.40 et seq. (§ 36.10.40) .
• Typical design-trigger examples: fences over 6 ft, small-lot or townhouse proposals, exceptions to setback/height standards and developments identified in § 36.10.55 require development review (§ 36.10.55; see § 36.44.45) file.
• Key standards: minimum lot area (e.g., 7,000 sf base), lot width, setbacks, FAR and heights are specified in the R2 development-standards table (§ 36.10.45–36.10.50) .

R3 (Multiple-Family)

• Purpose/uses: multi‑family housing; R3 may include suffixes (e.g., R3-D) and density-specific rules (§ 36.10.60–36.10.75) .
• Design-review triggers: all development (including exterior modifications and site improvements) in R3 is explicitly subject to development review (§ 36.10.80) .
• Key standards: lot area and width minima, FAR up to 1.05 in many R3 areas, setbacks and open-space requirements (see § 36.10.70–36.10.80) .

R4 (High‑Density Multiple‑Family)

• Purpose/uses: high-density residential projects; standards and guidelines in § 36.12 and related sections (§ 36.12.10) .
• Design-review triggers: multi‑family and larger-scale residential projects follow the development-review/PUD procedures and often require design review to establish site/building compatibility (§ 36.12; § 36.50 PUD rules) file.
• Key standards: lot, FAR, setbacks and height caps are in § 36.12.10 and related tables (see § 36.12) .

CN, CS, CO, CRA (Commercial districts)

• Purpose/uses: CN (neighborhood commerce), CS (service commercial), CO (office), CRA (commercial/residential arterial) each have stated purposes and permitted uses in § 36.18; mixed‑use and residential projects in these zones must meet the commercial zone design standards (§ 36.18.30 et seq.) file.
• Design-review triggers: major alterations or expansions that require development review must upgrade facilities and address façade, streetscape and screening issues; rooftop and ground equipment screening, trash enclosures and fences are subject to development-review standards (§ 36.18.30) .
• Key standards: CRA has explicit residential/mixed‑use standards (e.g., front setback 5 ft behind sidewalk, FAR caps such as 1.35 for mixed use in certain circumstances), and hotels/motels rules (see § 36.18.50) .

ML / MM (Industrial / Limited Industrial)

• Purpose/uses: industrial, office/warehouse and limited industrial uses governed by § 36.20.30 (ML) and § 36.20.35 (MM) standards. Design review addresses setbacks, landscaping and screening for industrial uses (§ 36.20.30) .
• Key standards: example ML front setbacks typical average 30 ft (min 20 ft), minimum site landscaping percentages (e.g., 10–15% depending on district), height plane/limits described in the ML table (§ 36.20.30) .

Planned Community (P) and Precise Plans

• Purpose/uses: Planned community permits (PC) are required for new development or redevelopment within P districts and are reviewed under precise plans and the PC permit rules (§ 36.50.30–36.50.55) file.
• Design-review triggers: P district projects, master plans and many modifications go through public hearings and require findings about superior site/building design and compatibility; zoning administrator forwards recommendations to council for major projects (§ 36.50.30–36.50.55) .

Overlay districts (Neighborhood Design -ND, Special Design -SD, Village Center -VC, Height -H)

• Purpose/uses: overlays add design expectations and special requirements to base zones; the overlay provisions are mapped as suffixes (e.g., R1-ND, R3-SD) and are found in § 36.26 (overlay definitions and standards) .
• Design-review triggers: the ordinance specifically notes that development-review applies to changes inside ND and SD overlay districts (development review associated with neighborhood design and special design is listed as a listed review type) (§ 36.44.45 and § 36.50.55 mention ND/SD review applicability) file.
• Key standards: each overlay has its own special standards and site‑specific constraints—consult § 36.26.* for the exact overlay rules (§ 36.26.80 / § 36.26.85 / § 36.26.95 / § 36.26.65) .

Quick decision‑relevant standards (table)

Checklist

• Provide a complete site plan showing building footprints, parking, drive aisles, pedestrian routes, and landscaping (§ 36.56.10.b.1) .
• Submit architectural elevations with materials, colors and roof profiles (§ 36.56.10.b.2) .
• Include landscape plan and screening for mechanical equipment (commercial rules and ML/industrial landscaping requirements) (§ 36.18.30; § 36.20.30) file.
• Parking calculations per Article X (apply local parking rules) and show how parking integrates with circulation (§ 36.44.70.e; see Article X) .
• Demonstrate compliance with applicable district development standards (setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, height) and overlay requirements (§§ 36.10., 36.12., 36.18.*) file.
• Prepare the written findings response tied to § 36.44.70 design findings for the decision body (§ 36.44.70) .
• Pay applicable fees and comply with noticing requirements; allow 14‑day mailed notice where a hearing is required (§ 36.56.15; § 36.56.20) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

If you propose changes that affect how a property looks, how buildings sit on a lot, or how parking, landscaping and mechanical equipment are screened in Mountain View, your project will likely need to go through the city’s design- and development-review process; the rules and findings you must meet are in Chapter 36 (notably §§ 36.44.20, 36.44.45 and 36.44.70) filefile. Expect to submit site plans, elevations, landscape plans and written findings; small, clearly‑compliant projects may be resolved administratively, while larger or exception-seeking projects often need public hearings and council review.

Source References

• Mountain View City Code — Chapter 36 (Zoning): general code and table of contents for zoning districts and overlays; see overview and mapping to specific sections (Chapter 36) .
• Design review procedures — § 36.44.20 (Design review: procedural duties of the zoning administrator) .
• Development-review process & zoning-admin authority — provisions describing zoning administrator duties, development review and referrals to EPC/city council (e.g., § 36.44.45 context and related text) .
• Findings and approval criteria — § 36.44.70 (Approval findings — design, landscaping, circulation, CEQA) .
• R1, R2, R3, R4 development standards — §§ 36.10.10–36.10.80, § 36.12 tables (lot area, setbacks, FAR, height) file.
• Commercial zone standards (CRA/CO/CN/CS) — § 36.18.30 (general commercial design standards) and § 36.18.50 (CRA special standards) file.
• ML (Limited Industrial) development standards — § 36.20.30 (setbacks, landscaping, screening) .
• Planned community / precise plan rules — §§ 36.50.30–36.50.75 (P district, PC permits and precise plans) .
• Application materials, fees and noticing — § 36.56.10, § 36.56.15, § 36.56.20 (application contents, fee schedule, notice requirements) .
• ADU references and exemptions — § 36.06.50 (exemptions from zoning permit requirements; ADU design references) and ADU design rules § 36.12.60–36.12.120 .

Retrieved passages

• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.44.20) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.56) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.50.30.b.) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Chapter but) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.08.30) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• CFC § 1 (Section 36.10.25.) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.10.35.) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 17) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Mountain View City Code — Chapter 36 (Zoning): general code and table of contents for zoning districts and overlays; see overview and mapping to specific sections (Chapter 36) . (Chapter 36)
• Design review procedures — **§ 36.44.20** (Design review: procedural duties of the zoning administrator) . (§ 36.44.20)
• Development-review process & zoning-admin authority — provisions describing zoning administrator duties, development review and referrals to EPC/city council (e.g., § 36.44.45 context and related text) . (§ 36.44.45)
• Findings and approval criteria — **§ 36.44.70** (Approval findings — design, landscaping, circulation, CEQA) . (§ 36.44.70)
• R1, R2, R3, R4 development standards — **§§ 36.10.10–36.10.80**, **§ 36.12** tables (lot area, setbacks, FAR, height) file. (§ 36.10.10)
• Commercial zone standards (CRA/CO/CN/CS) — **§ 36.18.30** (general commercial design standards) and **§ 36.18.50** (CRA special standards) file. (§ 36.18.30)
• ML (Limited Industrial) development standards — **§ 36.20.30** (setbacks, landscaping, screening) . (§ 36.20.30)
• Planned community / precise plan rules — **§§ 36.50.30–36.50.75** (P district, PC permits and precise plans) . (§ 36.50.30)
• Application materials, fees and noticing — **§ 36.56.10**, **§ 36.56.15**, **§ 36.56.20** (application contents, fee schedule, notice requirements) . (§ 36.56.10)
• ADU references and exemptions — **§ 36.06.50** (exemptions from zoning permit requirements; ADU design references) and ADU design rules **§ 36.12.60–36.12.120** . (§ 36.06.50)
• MountainView_ZoningCode.md

• Official Mountain View code library