South San Francisco — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes how the City of South San Francisco regulates land use under its updated zoning ordinance (commonly implemented as Title 20, Zoning). It explains where to find the lists of permitted (P), minor-use (M / MUP) and conditional (C) uses, how the City applies district-by-district rules (including Specific Plans and form‑based transects), and where to check development standards such as setbacks, lot coverage and height. For primary references see the City’s zoning chapters that govern residential districts (§ 20.070.002), non-residential districts (§ 20.100.002), Downtown/Caltrain districts (§ 20.090.002), the Southline Specific Plan (§ 20.290.004), and the transect/form‑based rules (§ 20.135.060) — . Links below point to related municipal guidance such as South San Francisco Zoning and the City's South San Francisco Development Standards. Also check local pages on parking, design review, Overlay Districts, and accessory units (ADUs) via South San Francisco ADUs. Building permits are separate and fall under the California Building Standards Code.

NOTE: This page stays focused on land‑use rules in the zoning ordinance (use-permission, district rules, and tables). It does not cover building code, tenant/housing law, or construction permit procedures.

How the Ordinance organizes land use

• The Ordinance distinguishes four regulatory types: Land Use Regulations, Development Regulations, Administrative Regulations, and General Uses and Terms (Division I–VII). See § 20.010.003 for structure and the definition of “land use regulations” — .
• Use tables for each district group list whether a use is P, M (Minor Use Permit), C (Conditional Use Permit), or ― (not allowed). The transect/form‑based chapter explicitly explains that permit levels and the Chief Planner’s role apply where a use is not listed — § 20.135.060 — .
• Specific Plans (for example, Southline and Oyster Point) contain their own land‑use tables that may supersede base district rules where the Specific Plan applies — see § 20.290.003 and § 20.290.004 — .

District-by-district breakdown (what the code says)

Note: below each district name is bolded and tied to the ordinance paragraph(s) that define use permissions. Where the ordinance places detailed numeric development standards in a development-standards table, the section is cited. Verify parcel-specific constraints (e.g., ALUCP, easements) with the City.

Residential districts — § 20.070.002 (Use regulations)

Purpose: provide zones for single‑ and multi‑family housing and limited supporting uses. Primary residential districts in the ordinance include RL‑2.2, RL‑8, RM‑22, RH‑50, and RH‑180 (and RH‑37.5 shown in tables). Typical permitted uses and permit levels are in Table 20.070.002 (Use Regulations – Residential Zoning Districts) — § 20.070.002 — .

• Typical permitted uses: single‑unit detached, semi‑attached, and attached dwellings; certain multifamily types are permitted only in higher‑density districts (e.g., RM‑22, RH‑50, RH‑180). Family day care, ADUs (see Chapter 20.350), and small home occupations appear as accessory/permitted in many residential zones — § 20.070.002 — .
• Permit mechanics: some uses (e.g., senior care, group residential, residential care facilities) require C or M in specified districts — § 20.070.002 — .
• Where it applies: citywide in areas mapped as residential; development standards for setbacks, lot coverage and height are set by the ordinance’s development standards tables for residential districts (see the Division II development standards references in § 20.010.003) — .
• Practical note: the City references State laws for certain unit types (AB 2011 / SB 6 / ADU statutes) in these tables — § 20.070.002 — .

(Development standards table reference: development standards for residential districts are laid out in Division II; a parcel‑by‑parcel confirmation is often needed — Verify with the jurisdiction. Not all numeric values for every residential district were retrievable in the provided excerpts.)

Non‑Residential districts — § 20.100.002 (Use regulations) and § 20.100.003 (Development standards)

Purpose: provide land for retail, office, technology/research, manufacturing and industrial uses. See Table 20.100.002 (Use Regulations – Non‑Residential Zoning Districts) and Table 20.100.003 (Development Standards – Non‑Residential Districts) — § 20.100.002 and § 20.100.003 — .

Key non‑residential districts named in the tables include:

• CC (Community Commercial)
• BPO (Business & Professional Office)
• BTP‑M / BTP‑H (Business Technology Park — Medium/High)
• MIM / MIH (Industrial/Manufacturing)
• GMP (Genentech Master Plan area) and OPSP (Oyster Point Specific Plan area) are special plan districts with their own standards noted in the non‑residential chapter — § 20.100.002 — .

Typical permitted uses and limits:

• Office/medical/dental uses are commonly P in BPO/BTP areas; heavy industrial or warehousing are limited to MIM/MIH districts — § 20.100.002 — .
• Some uses carry distance or location limits (e.g., certain industrial or noise‑generating uses limited east of Highway 101 or a set distance from residential districts) — see the notes under Table 20.100.002 (notes 4–10) — .
• Development standards: Table 20.100.003 contains non‑residential lot/height/ setback standards; GMP has separate master plan standards — § 20.100.003 — .

Downtown / Caltrain Station Area districts — § 20.090.002

Purpose: revitalize Downtown/Caltrain area with mixed‑use, pedestrian‑oriented development. District labels include DRC, LNC, GAC, DTC, ETC. Uses and permit levels are in Table 20.090.002 — § 20.090.002 — .

• Typical permitted uses: multifamily housing, neighborhood retail, restaurants and pedestrian‑oriented services (many uses are P in core downtown zones but may be M or C in edge zones) — § 20.090.002 — .
• Design emphasis: the downtown chapters are paired with design review and form‑based rules to control frontage and pedestrian frontage type — see the downtown chapter and the City’s design review guidance — .

Civic districts (PQP, S, PR, OS) — § 20.110.002 / § 20.110.003

Purpose: accommodate public and semi‑public uses (parks, government buildings, public safety, cultural institutions). Uses listed in Table 20.110.002 and development standards given in Table 20.110.003 — § 20.110.002 and § 20.110.003 — .

• Example numeric standards (from Table 20.110.003): minimum front setback 10–20 ft, max main building height ranges (commonly 30 ft for many civic zones; notes allow screening exceptions), lot coverage and landscaping minima are called out in the same table — § 20.110.003 — .
• Special provisions: shoreline setbacks and hillside lot adjustments are noted in the same civic development section — § 20.110.003 — .

Form‑based / Transect districts — § 20.135.060

Purpose: implement transect (form‑based) zones where the ordinance controls allowed uses and building form together. The chapter explains permit categories (P, MUP, C) and the Chief Planner’s authority to classify similar uses where not listed — § 20.135.060 — .

• Practical point: a mixed‑use project is subject to the highest permit level required for any component use — § 20.135.060(B)(2)(c) — .

Southline Campus Specific Plan (S‑C) — § 20.290.004

Purpose and application: The Southline Specific Plan governs land use inside the S‑C district. It includes its own Land Use Regulations table (Table 20.290.001) and gives interpretation guidance (similar uses, illegal uses, and permit abbreviations such as P, MUP, C) — § 20.290.003 and § 20.290.004 — .

• Practical note: within S‑C the Specific Plan controls where inconsistent with Title 20; the Chief Planner may assign a substantially similar classification if a use is not listed — § 20.290.003 and § 20.290.004 — .

Quick reference table — Selected decision‑relevant uses and standards

Information Gaps (what the retrieved materials did not show clearly)

• Complete numeric development standards for all residential district setbacks, lot coverage and heights (specific tables for residential development standards were not included in the retrieved snippets). Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the City’s full code tables or the Chief Planner.
• Full images or complete text for the land use tables (some tables were provided as images in the source and text excerpts omitted parts of the tables). For parcel‑level determinations consult the full Table PDFs in the official code.
• Exact numeric FAR and special numeric caps for certain special districts beyond the notes visible in excerpts (some FAR caps are noted in table footnotes but full table context is needed). Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the City.

Checklist — what an applicant must confirm before filing

• Identify the exact zoning district (map) for the parcel and confirm whether any Specific Plan (e.g., S‑C or OPSP) or overlay applies (§ 20.290.003) — .
• Check Table 20.070.002 / Table 20.100.002 / Table 20.090.002 or the applicable Specific Plan table to confirm whether the proposed use is P, M (MUP), C (CUP) or ― — see § 20.070.002, § 20.100.002, § 20.090.002 — .
• If a Minor Use Permit or Conditional Use Permit is required, prepare findings and materials per Chapter 20.490 (Use Permits) and the Planning Commission/Chief Planner procedures referenced in § 20.440.003 — .
• Confirm development standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage, FAR) in the district’s development standards table (Division II or the specific plan’s standards) — see § 20.100.003 and the civic and non‑residential development tables — .
• Evaluate airport compatibility, ALUCP constraints, and any height limits east of Highway 101 per the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan references in Chapter 20.300 — see notes in tables and § 20.100.002 — .
• Confirm parking and loading obligations under the City’s on‑site parking chapter (refer to the City [parking] guidance) and prepare parking calculations per Chapter 20.330 — .
• Check whether design review applies (Downtown, form‑based, or other districts) and include required elevations, materials, and sign programs per design review checklists — see § 20.140 PD and City design review authority references — .
• Verify any accessory‑use special rules (ADUs, home occupations, family day care, mobile vendors) in Chapter 20.350 — .
• Confirm any nonconforming‑use status or need to bring an existing use into compliance (see Chapter on nonconforming uses) — .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

South San Francisco’s zoning (Title 20) controls what you can do on a parcel by mapping it to a district (residential, commercial, industrial, downtown, civic, or specific plan area) and using a table to say whether a use is allowed as‑of‑right (P), allowed with a Minor Use Permit (M/MUP), allowed only with a Conditional Use Permit (C), or not allowed; the Chief Planner or Planning Commission enforce these tables and can classify similar uses or require permits — see § 20.070.002, § 20.100.002, § 20.090.002, § 20.135.060 and § 20.290.004 — .

Source References

• Structure of zoning regulations: § 20.010.003 — (organization of land‑use vs. development regs).
• Residential use table: § 20.070.002 (Table 20.070.002: Use Regulations – Residential Zoning Districts) — .
• Non‑residential use & development tables: § 20.100.002 (Use Regulations – Non‑Residential) and § 20.100.003 (Development Standards – Non‑Residential) — .
• Downtown/Caltrain area uses: § 20.090.002 (Table 20.090.002) — .
• Civic district development standards: § 20.110.003 (Table 20.110.003) — .
• Form‑based / Transect use rules: § 20.135.060 — .
• Southline Specific Plan land use: § 20.290.003 and § 20.290.004 (Table 20.290.001) — .
• Lots divided by district boundaries: § 20.300.004 — .
• Definitions and general terms: § 20.621.010 (Use classifications, definitions) — .
• Official online source where the code was obtained (full text and graphics): City of South San Francisco eCode page — https://ecode360.com/SO5016 — .

Retrieved passages

• South San Francisco Zoning Code (Chapter 20.490) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (Chapter 20.300) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (CHAPTER 20.100) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (§ 20.140.005) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• South San Francisco Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **Structure of zoning regulations**: **§ 20.010.003** — (organization of land‑use vs. development regs). (§ 20.010.003)
• **Residential use table**: **§ 20.070.002** (Table 20.070.002: Use Regulations – Residential Zoning Districts) — . (§ 20.070.002)
• **Non‑residential use & development tables**: **§ 20.100.002** (Use Regulations – Non‑Residential) and **§ 20.100.003** (Development Standards – Non‑Residential) — . (§ 20.100.002)
• **Downtown/Caltrain area uses**: **§ 20.090.002** (Table 20.090.002) — . (§ 20.090.002)
• **Civic district development standards**: **§ 20.110.003** (Table 20.110.003) — . (§ 20.110.003)
• **Form‑based / Transect use rules**: **§ 20.135.060** — . (§ 20.135.060)
• **Southline Specific Plan land use**: **§ 20.290.003** and **§ 20.290.004** (Table 20.290.001) — . (§ 20.290.003)
• **Lots divided by district boundaries**: **§ 20.300.004** — . (§ 20.300.004)
• **Definitions and general terms**: **§ 20.621.010** (Use classifications, definitions) — . (§ 20.621.010)
• Official online source where the code was obtained (full text and graphics): City of South San Francisco eCode page — — .
• SouthSanFrancisco_ZoningCode.md

• Official South San Francisco code library