San Fernando — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes how land use is regulated in the City of San Fernando Zoning Ordinance (commonly cited as the San Fernando Zoning Ordinance / Title 17). It explains the city’s base zones and overlay zones, how permitted and conditional uses are shown in the city’s land-use tables, and the most decision-relevant dimensional and use rules applicants must check. For project-level rules you will also need to confirm parking, setbacks and development standards, and design-review triggers early in design: see the city’s San Fernando Development Standards, San Fernando Parking, and San Fernando Design Review pages. All quoted requirements below are grounded in the San Fernando ordinance; citations to the controlling section (§) and the file_search source are provided inline.

ARTICLE II (Base and Overlay Zones) establishes the city’s zones and use-regulation structure. The official zone list—including R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1, C-2, SC, M-1, M-2, and SP-5—is in § 106-5 (official zoning map and zone list) . Use regulations follow in separate tables for Residential, Commercial, and Industrial zones (see § 106-42, § 106-72, and § 106-102) .

NOTE: overlay controls (for example RPD, PD1, MUO) layer on the base zones and carry their own use or development rules; see the San Fernando Overlay Districts page and the RPD/PD sections below. The San Fernando Corridors Specific Plan is designated SP-5 and contains mandatory development standards for its area (§ 106-133–§ 106-136) .

How to read the city's use tables

• The residential, commercial and industrial tables use "P" for permitted, "C" for conditional (requires a Conditional Use Permit), and "-" for prohibited. These tables and their explanatory text appear at § 106-42 (residential), § 106-72 (commercial), and § 106-102 (industrial) .
• Conditional uses are subject to the CUP findings and procedures in the ordinance; approvals include conditions of long-term compliance and may be revoked if conditions change (§ 106-872; § 106-874) .
• Where a specific plan applies (for example SP-5), the specific plan controls over duplicative/conflicting zoning provisions; conversely if the specific plan is silent the Zoning Ordinance controls (§ 106-135–§ 106-136) .

District-by-district breakdown

Note: every district name below is shown in bold (the actual zone symbol used in the code). For each district I list purpose, typical permitted uses (high-level), key dimensional standards, and where the district applies.

R-1 — Single-Family Residential Zone

• Purpose: Provide for single-family detached dwellings and preserve low-density neighborhood character (§ 106-41(1)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Single-unit dwelling (P); accessory structures and allowable ADUs subject to ADU rules (§ 106-42) . For ADU-specific rules and ministerial approval timelines see the San Fernando ADUs page and local ADU provisions (§ 106-14x—ADU provisions summarized in the ordinance) .
• Key dimensional standards (from Tables 106-43.1 & 106-43.2):
  • Minimum lot size: 7,500 sq ft; Minimum lot width: 50 ft (corner 55 ft) (§ 106-43 tables) .
  • Maximum height: 35 ft (§ 106-43.2) .
  • Front setback: 20 ft (with exceptions averaging to existing block frontages) (§ 106-43.2; § 106-188) .
  • Side setbacks: 5 ft; Rear setback: 15–20 ft depending on condition (see table for exact) (§ 106-43.2) .

R-2 — Medium Multiple-Family Zone

• Purpose: Medium-density residential (§ 106-41(2)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, apartments (many are P in R-2; see Table 106-42) (§ 106-42) .
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Minimum lot size: 7,500 sq ft; Maximum height: 35 ft; Maximum lot coverage: 40% (Table 106-43) (§ 106-43) .

R-3 — High Multiple-Family Zone

• Purpose: Higher-density residential development (§ 106-41(3)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Multi-family apartments, condominiums (P where allowed) — density is higher than R-2 (see Table 106-43.1) (§ 106-42; § 106-43) .
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Maximum height: 45 ft; Minimum lot width: 50 ft; Maximum lot coverage: 40% (see Tables 106-43.1–106-43.2) (§ 106-43) .

C-1 — Limited Commercial Zone

• Purpose: Smaller-scale commercial and neighborhood-serving uses (§ 106-72 intro) .
• Typical permitted uses: Administrative/professional offices, retail, personal services; some uses require CUP (see Table 106-72) (§ 106-72) .
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Commercial setbacks and lot coverage vary; in many commercial zones side/rear setbacks are 0 ft and maximum lot coverage up to 60% depending on subzone—see Table 106-104 and Table 106-43 equivalents for specifics (§ 106-104) .

C-2 — Commercial Zone

• Purpose: Broader commercial activity; citywide retail/service uses (§ 106-72) .
• Typical permitted uses: General retail (P with limitations), eating and drinking establishments (may be C), banks and services, parking uses; refer Table 106-72 for line-by-line designations (§ 106-72) .
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Setbacks and lot coverage follow commercial development standards; when adjacent to R zones, a 20 ft setback is required in some cases (specific limitations noted in tables) (§ 106-104) .

SC — Service Commercial Zone

• Purpose: Mix of commercial and selected light industrial activity where limited industrial uses complement commercial pattern (§ 106-??; purpose summarized in text) .
• Typical permitted uses: Combination of retail/service and light industrial or equipment-related uses (see Table 106-72) (§ 106-72) .
• Key dimensional standards: See Table 106-72 and § 106-104 for development standards and limits (e.g., underground utilities, walls where abutting residential) .

M-1 — Limited Industrial Zone

• Purpose: Limited industrial activity; most uses must be within permanent buildings (§ 106-102; § 106-104) .
• Typical permitted uses: Manufacturing and repair activities (P or C depending on the use); automotive repair and related uses per Article IV supplement; limited retail incidental to industrial (§ 106-102) .
• Key standards:
  • Permanent building requirement for permitted uses; required street frontage 75 ft; utilities underground; landscaping and fencing standards; outside storage generally requires CUP (§ 106-104) .

M-2 — Light Industrial Zone

• Purpose: Light industrial uses, and the code specifically authorizes Emergency Homeless Shelters in M-2 under the Special SRO/Homeless Shelter division with specific conditions (§ 106-757) .
• Typical permitted uses: Similar to M-1 with allowances for some heavier uses where explicitly allowed; check Table 106-102 for item-level designations (§ 106-102) .
• Key standards:
  • Same core industrial standards (utilities underground, 75 ft frontage, no outside storage without CUP) (§ 106-104) .

SP-5 — San Fernando Corridors Specific Plan Zone

• Purpose: Implements downtown and primary corridor redevelopment strategies along Truman St, San Fernando Rd, Maclay Ave, First St. SP-5 contains its own mandatory development standards and design guidelines; where conflict exists SP-5 controls (§ 106-133–§ 106-136) .
• Typical permitted uses & standards: Determined by the SP-5 text (on-file as the San Fernando Corridors Specific Plan). Projects within SP-5 must be consistent with that specific plan (§ 106-135) .

Overlay zones (RPD, PD1, MUO)

• RPD (Residential Planned Development Overlay): adds planned-development rules and a project-level review; only base-zone uses permitted unless the overlay imposes CUPs; tables 106-165.1–106-165.2 contain RPD lot/density and form standards (e.g., max height 35 ft / 2 stories, front setbacks 15–25 ft, max lot coverage 50%) (§ 106-163–§ 106-165; Tables 106‑165.1–106‑165.2) .
• PD1 (Precise Development Overlay): requires a precise plan and certificate-of-use; only uses permitted in the underlying zone are allowed unless the PD says otherwise (§ 106-167–§ 106-170) .
• MUO (Mixed-Use Overlay): applied where mixed use is desired; use and form rules are overlay-specific (look to the ordinance overlay division text and SPs) (§ 106-163—divisions for overlays) .

Quick reference table — selected, decision-relevant standards and typical use designations

(Use tables referenced above for parcel-level checks; the ordinance tables carry additional limitations and footnotes.)

Practical guidance / interpretation notes

• Always start by consulting the applicable table for the base zone: Table 106-42 for residential uses, Table 106-72 for commercial uses and Table 106-102 for industrial uses to determine whether a use is P, C, or -. See § 106-42, § 106-72, § 106-102 .
• If your parcel sits inside SP-5 or has an overlay (RPD / PD1 / MUO), those documents/overlays may change allowed uses or dimensional standards — SP-5 is explicit that its development standards are mandatory within its boundaries (§ 106-134–§ 106-136) .
• Site-plan review is required for many projects (new buildings, exterior alterations that trigger CUP or variance, major remodels in overlays, and certain size thresholds) — see § 106-857 for triggers and procedures and the exemptions list (§ 106-857(b)) .
• Parking requirements are in a separate division (Division 3 of Article III) and apply to uses in the tables; some projects (e.g., density-bonus projects) may request reduced parking subject to a parking study (§ 106-1127 menu of incentives includes reduced parking as a potential incentive) .
• ADUs follow a ministerial permitting flow but must still meet the city’s ADU architectural and access rules in the code; see the ADU section and the California Building Standards Code for building-code requirements that will be enforced at plan check (§ 106-14x ADU provisions; ordinance ADU details) .

Checklist

• Confirm exact base zone on the official zoning map (compare parcel to § 106-5) .
• Check the applicable Use Table: Table 106‑42 (Residential), Table 106‑72 (Commercial), or Table 106‑102 (Industrial) to determine P/C/- for your proposed use (§ 106-42; § 106-72; § 106-102) .
• If the use is “C”, prepare Conditional Use Permit materials and verify the code findings applicable to CUPs and revocation provisions (e.g., § 106-872, § 106-874) .
• Check development standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage, lot area) in § 106-43 (residential tables) or the applicable Table for the zone (§ 106-43; Tables 106‑43.x) .
• Confirm whether an overlay or the SP-5 specific plan covers the parcel (if so, SP-5 rules may supersede) (§ 106-133–§ 106-136) .
• Verify parking obligations (Division 3 of Article III) and whether a parking study / density-bonus parking reduction applies (§ 106-1127) .
• Decide whether site plan review or design review is required (site-plan triggers in § 106-857) and consult San Fernando Design Review and San Fernando Development Standards pages .
• For ADUs, follow the ministerial ADU process and the local ADU-specific architectural/entrance/landscaping rules (ADU subsection) and check state ADU precedence (California ADU law) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

San Fernando’s Zoning Ordinance divides the city into named zones (like R-1, R-2, C-2, M-2, and the SP-5 corridor-specific zone) that list which uses are allowed as-of-right, which need a Conditional Use Permit, and the dimensional rules (setbacks, height, lot coverage). Always check the base zone table for your parcel, then see whether an overlay or the SP-5 specific plan applies — overlays and specific plans can change what’s allowed and the numeric standards (§ 106-5; § 106-42; § 106-72; § 106-102; § 106-133–§ 106-136) .

Source References

• San Fernando Zoning Ordinance (title and purpose): § 106-1 – § 106-4. Ordinance text and organization summary .
• Official zone list (R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, C‑1, C‑2, SC, M‑1, M‑2, SP‑5; overlays RPD, PD1, MUO): § 106-5 .
• Residential use table and residential development standards (Tables 106‑42; 106‑43.1; 106‑43.2): § 106-42; § 106-43 .
• Commercial use table and standards (Table 106‑72; commercial development standards): § 106-72; § 106-104 .
• Industrial use table (Table 106‑102) and industrial standards (outside storage, utilities, frontage): § 106-102; § 106-104 .
• Overlays: RPD tables & standards (Tables 106‑165.1–106‑165.2), PD/ MU overlays, and SP-5: § 106-163–§ 106-165; § 106-167–§ 106-170; § 106-133–§ 106-136 .
• Site plan review triggers & procedure: § 106-857 (site plan review) .
• Conditional Use Permit requirements, compliance, and revocation references: § 106-872; § 106-874 (see CUP procedure and revocation) .
• Density bonus and incentives (menu includes reduced parking): § 106-1127 (density bonus / incentives) .
• ADU rules and ministerial timeline: local ADU subsection and reference to state ADU law and ministerial review timelines (local ADU details summarized in ordinance ADU section) .
• Emergency homeless shelters and SRO standards (M‑2 rules and limits): § 106-757 and Article IV Division on SROs/ shelters .

Retrieved passages

• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 1351) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (section if) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 3 (article VI) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (section and) Medium relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• San Fernando Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 3 (chapter shall) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• San Fernando Zoning Ordinance (title and purpose): **§ 106-1 – § 106-4**. Ordinance text and organization summary . (title and)
• Official zone list (R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, C‑1, C‑2, SC, M‑1, M‑2, SP‑5; overlays RPD, PD1, MUO): **§ 106-5** . (§ 106-5)
• Residential use table and residential development standards (Tables 106‑42; 106‑43.1; 106‑43.2): **§ 106-42**; **§ 106-43** . (§ 106-42)
• Commercial use table and standards (Table 106‑72; commercial development standards): **§ 106-72**; **§ 106-104** . (§ 106-72)
• Industrial use table (Table 106‑102) and industrial standards (outside storage, utilities, frontage): **§ 106-102**; **§ 106-104** . (§ 106-102)
• Overlays: RPD tables & standards (Tables 106‑165.1–106‑165.2), PD/ MU overlays, and SP-5: **§ 106-163–§ 106-165**; **§ 106-167–§ 106-170**; **§ 106-133–§ 106-136** . (§ 106-163)
• Site plan review triggers & procedure: **§ 106-857** (site plan review) . (§ 106-857)
• Conditional Use Permit requirements, compliance, and revocation references: **§ 106-872; § 106-874** (see CUP procedure and revocation) . (§ 106-872)
• Density bonus and incentives (menu includes reduced parking): **§ 106-1127** (density bonus / incentives) . (§ 106-1127)
• ADU rules and ministerial timeline: local ADU subsection and reference to state ADU law and ministerial review timelines (local ADU details summarized in ordinance ADU section) .
• Emergency homeless shelters and SRO standards (M‑2 rules and limits): **§ 106-757** and Article IV Division on SROs/ shelters . (§ 106-757)
• SanFernando_ZoningCode.md

• Official San Fernando code library