San Bruno — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

San Bruno calls its design-review process an architectural review permit and places it in Chapter 12.108 of the zoning ordinance; the permit exists to ensure new buildings, façades, and significant site changes meet the city's zoning, specific plan, and design goals. The ordinance defines when an architectural review is required, who decides (administrative director vs. Planning Commission), what findings must be made, noticing rules, and how approvals are enforced and modified (§ 12.108.010, § 12.108.015, § 12.108.030) . For projects in special areas such as the Bayhill Specific Plan or the City’s mixed‑use corridors, the specific plan chapters layer additional design standards and explicitly require architectural review (§ 12.290.080; § 12.280.030) .

Note: this page focuses only on the local zoning ordinance requirements for design/architectural review (not building code or state ADU rules). First mentions of related topics are linked to the city menu where the topic is covered: design review (zoning), parking, development standards, overlays, ADUs, Title 24 (state building-code reference), signage, and landscaping.

• "design review" -> San Bruno Zoning
• "parking" -> San Bruno Parking
• "development standards" / setbacks -> San Bruno Development Standards
• "overlay" / specific plan (Bayhill) -> San Bruno Overlay Districts
• "ADUs" -> San Bruno ADUs
• "California Building Standards Code" / Title 24 -> California Building Standards Code
• "signage" -> San Bruno Signage
• "landscaping" -> San Bruno Landscaping and Screening

What the ordinance requires (key rules and citations)

• Architectural review is a discretionary planning permit required to ensure design consistency with the General Plan, specific plans, and objective development standards; the basic authority and triggers are in § 12.108.010 .
• The ordinance lists the categories of development that require an architectural review permit (e.g., new construction in R-1/R-2, new buildings/additions or site/architectural/landscape alterations in R-3, R-4, C‑N, A‑R, M‑1, O, U, mixed‑use zones including CBD, TOD‑S, TOD‑1, TOD‑2, MX‑R, CC, and the Bayhill Specific Plan area) — see § 12.108.010(C) .
• Decision authority: the Community Development Director handles smaller, administrative architectural reviews; the Planning Commission reviews larger projects, and special rules apply for single‑family/duplexes in R‑1/R‑2 (§ 12.108.015) .
• Findings needed for approval are enumerated and include conformance with General Plan/specific plans, site adequacy, compatibility with surrounding character (streetscape, street trees, lighting), no detriment to health/safety, and contribution to a cohesive, pedestrian‑oriented built environment; additional specific finding for new construction in R‑1/R‑2 when it goes to the Commission (§ 12.108.030) .
• Submittal requirements (site plan, legal description, landscape plan, dimensioned elevations, civil/stormwater plans, materials, photos, fees, etc.) are required with the application (application materials list) — see the application material checklist preceding § 12.108.030 in the ordinance text .
• Notice, expiration, modification, and extension procedures for approved architectural review permits are governed by § 12.108.060, § 12.108.070, § 12.108.050, and § 12.108.080 respectively; administrative reviews get mailed notice to adjacent owners and commission hearings follow Chapter 12.132 when required (§ 12.108.060; § 12.108.015) .
• Specific plan districts (Bayhill) require an architectural review permit for new construction and façade modifications and add explicit development & design standards (Table 12.290‑3 and related text) that must be met in addition to Chapter 12.108 (§ 12.290.080; § 12.290.060) .

District‑by‑district breakdown (where design review applies)

Note: each district subsection below synthesizes what the ordinance ties to architectural review and any code-level dimensional/design standards available in the retrieved materials. If a district’s full permitted uses or full dimensional table are not present in the retrieved excerpts, the entry states "Not found in retrieved materials" and directs you to verify with the jurisdiction.

R-1 (Single‑Family Residential)

• Purpose / where it applies: standard single‑family zoning; architectural review is required for new construction in R‑1 and for certain projects that trigger Planning Commission review (§ 12.108.010(C)(1)) .
• Typical permitted uses: single‑family dwellings and accessory uses (specific permitted‑use list not in retrieved excerpts). Verify with Chapter 12.200 for the full list (Not found in retrieved materials).
• Key design/approval rules:
  • New single‑family construction can require either administrative director action or Planning Commission action per § 12.108.015; when the project goes to the Planning Commission, an extra finding is required that the project’s variations from development standards are justified (§ 12.108.015; § 12.108.030(F)) .
  • Submittal items (site plan, elevations, landscape plan, etc.) are required with the application (application materials) .
• Dimensional standards (front setbacks, lot coverage, height) — Not found in retrieved materials; verify with Chapter 12.200 / Development Standards .

R-2 (Two‑Family / Duplex)

• Purpose / where it applies: duplex/residential sites; architectural review triggers mirror R‑1 for new construction and for certain additions/alterations (§ 12.108.010(C)(1)) .
• Typical permitted uses: duplexes and associated accessory uses — full list Not found in retrieved materials (verify Chapter 12.200).
• Key design/approval rules:
  • Same decision‑making split (director vs. commission) and the special Commission finding applies to new construction requiring Commission action (§ 12.108.015; § 12.108.030(F)) .
• Dimensional standards — Not found in retrieved materials; verify with Chapter 12.200.

Mixed‑Use / Transit‑Oriented Districts (CBD, TOD‑S, TOD‑2, MX‑R, etc.)

• Purpose / where it applies: these districts implement the General Plan transit and mixed‑use policies along El Camino Real and transit corridors; architectural review is required for projects in these districts (§ 12.280.030; § 12.280.020) .
• Typical permitted uses: mixed residential and commercial — see Table 12.280‑1 for permitted/conditional uses (table itself in the ordinance; excerpt indicates P/C/- designations) (§ 12.280.020) .
• Key dimensional standards (selected, from Table 12.280‑2):
  • TOD‑2: maximum height 70 ft (table shows 70 ft for TOD‑2 in many places; see Table 12.280‑2) and maximum FAR typically 2.0 for smaller parcels (see table notes) (§ 12.280.030, Table 12.280‑2) .
  • MX‑R: maximum height 50 ft, residential FAR 3.0 / nonresidential 0.6 (Table 12.280‑2) (§ 12.280.030) .
• Setbacks/stepbacks/open space standards are specified in Table 12.280‑2 and the notes — these are part of the zoning chapter that interfaces directly with architectural review (§ 12.280.030) .

Bayhill Specific Plan districts (BRO, BNC, BR, BMU)

• Purpose / where it applies: site‑specific standards for the Bayhill area (Bayhill Regional Office BRO, Bayhill Neighborhood Commercial BNC, Bayhill Residential Overlay BR, Bayhill Mixed Use Overlay BMU) — the Specific Plan both requires architectural review and supplies district design standards (§ 12.290.080; § 12.290.060) .
• Typical permitted uses: office, retail, residential conversions depending on overlay (see Bayhill Specific Plan text; BR allows residential conversion on specified parcels) (§ 12.290.060) .
• Key dimensional / design items (excerpted decision‑relevant facts from Table 12.290‑3 and § 12.290.060):
  • Maximum height generally 50 ft or 3 stories (citywide cap; Table 12.290‑3 lists 50 ft for some Bayhill districts; confirm parcel‑specific limits in the plan) (§ 12.290.060; Table 12.290‑3) .
  • Ground‑floor transparency requirements (e.g., at least 50% windows on retail frontage at specified heights) and minimum ground‑floor ceiling heights for retail (15 ft) are in Table 12.290‑3 (§ 12.290.060) .
  • Greenways, setbacks, and lot coverage rules are spelled out in the Specific Plan text and its Table 12.290‑3 (§ 12.290.060) .
• Bayhill requires that projects follow Chapter 12.108 for architectural review and adds its own standards and procedures (§ 12.290.080) .

Decision‑relevant standards and permitted‑use table (selected excerpts)

Checklist — what an applicant must provide / satisfy before submittal

• Confirm whether your project triggers an architectural review permit under § 12.108.010 (new construction, façade work, additions, or site/landscape changes) .
• Prepare the application package (owner statement/title report, scaled site plan with setbacks and parking, civil & stormwater plans, landscape plan, dimensioned elevations & perspectives, materials board, photo‑simulations) as described in the application materials list .
• Check whether your district is a special plan / overlay (e.g., Bayhill or TOD zones) and assemble any district‑specific standards (e.g., Table 12.290‑3 or 12.280‑2) to demonstrate conformance (§ 12.290.080; § 12.280.030) .
• Identify decision body (Community Development Director vs. Planning Commission) per § 12.108.015 and plan for hearing or administrative notice procedures (§ 12.108.015; § 12.108.060) .
• If seeking deviations or a variance, coordinate those parallel processes (use permits/variances have their own chapters and findings) and confirm timing/fees (§ 12.112 for use permits; see related chapters) .
• Prepare environmental/CEQA materials if the project is not categorically exempt (approving authority must certify CEQA status prior to action) .
• Pay applicable fees per the city’s master fee schedule before application completeness review (§ 12.76.060) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

If you are building something new, changing a façade, or doing a sizable addition in San Bruno, you will very likely need an architectural review permit — the city uses that permit to check siting, compatibility with the neighborhood, landscaping, pedestrian design and specific plan rules; the ordinance lists exactly when the permit is required, what materials you must submit, who decides (director or Planning Commission), and the findings that must be made (§ 12.108.010; § 12.108.015; § 12.108.030) .

Source References

• San Bruno Municipal Code — Chapter 12.108 (Architectural Review Permits): § 12.108.010, § 12.108.015, § 12.108.030, § 12.108.040, § 12.108.050, § 12.108.060, § 12.108.070, § 12.108.080 .
• San Bruno Municipal Code — Mixed‑Use Districts and development tables: § 12.280.020, § 12.280.030 (Table 12.280‑2) .
• Bayhill Specific Plan (San Bruno) — Design standards and Architectural Review requirement: § 12.290.060, § 12.290.070, § 12.290.080 (Table 12.290‑3 excerpts) .
• Application materials and submittal list (architectural review application materials preceding § 12.108.030) — application checklist excerpt .
• General application/fee/interpretation rules: § 12.76.050 – § 12.76.090 (application rules, fees, director interpretation) .
• Telecommunications: architectural review requirements and special application materials (Chapter 12.220) — where telecoms require AR and special stealth/technical submittals (§ 12.220.040 – § 12.220.080) .
• State references (for context only): California ADU handbook and state ADU law summaries (local ADU interplay is not fully established in the retrieved local materials; verify with the jurisdiction) .

Retrieved passages

• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (title report) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 12.245.030.) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 27-2.4) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 27-10.1) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 27-10.5) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (chapter shall) High relevance show source text
• San Bruno Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• San Bruno Municipal Code — Chapter **12.108** (Architectural Review Permits): **§ 12.108.010**, **§ 12.108.015**, **§ 12.108.030**, **§ 12.108.040**, **§ 12.108.050**, **§ 12.108.060**, **§ 12.108.070**, **§ 12.108.080** . (§ 12.108.010)
• San Bruno Municipal Code — Mixed‑Use Districts and development tables: **§ 12.280.020**, **§ 12.280.030** (Table 12.280‑2) . (§ 12.280.020)
• Bayhill Specific Plan (San Bruno) — Design standards and Architectural Review requirement: **§ 12.290.060**, **§ 12.290.070**, **§ 12.290.080** (Table 12.290‑3 excerpts) . (§ 12.290.060)
• Application materials and submittal list (architectural review application materials preceding § 12.108.030) — application checklist excerpt . (§ 12.108.030)
• General application/fee/interpretation rules: **§ 12.76.050** – **§ 12.76.090** (application rules, fees, director interpretation) . (§ 12.76.050)
• Telecommunications: architectural review requirements and special application materials (Chapter **12.220**) — where telecoms require AR and special stealth/technical submittals (§ 12.220.040 – § 12.220.080) . (§ 12.220.040)
• State references (for context only): California ADU handbook and state ADU law summaries (local ADU interplay is not fully established in the retrieved local materials; verify with the jurisdiction) .
• SanBruno_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California ADU handbook.md

• Official San Bruno code library