Union City · Zoning · CSMU
Union City CSMU zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Union City's CSMU zone, generally buildings can be up to 160 ft (14 stories) tall and the front setback is 15 ft, with the conditions listed below (Union City code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 160 ft (buildings over 5 stories or 65 ft need a use permit)
- Maximum number of stories: 14 stories (buildings over 5 stories or 65 ft need a use permit)
- Minimum front setback: 15 ft (measured from the face of the parking curb)
- Minimum rear setback: None required (except street rear yards, which are 15 ft from the face of the parking curb)
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 4.2 (all nonresidential uses)
- Maximum density: 165 units per acre (and a minimum of 100 units per acre)
CSMU (Station Mixed Use Commercial) is a zoning district in Union City. Every value below was read from the Union City Municipal Code and links to its section (read October 2026). State laws such as the ADU and SB 9 rules can allow more on a residential lot. General information, not legal advice — read the code text and check with the city before you build.
Development standards in CSMU
The general rule for a typical lot in this zone. Zoning tables often attach notes, such as rules for corner lots, lots next to a residential zone, or new subdivisions only. Open “code text” under a value to see the table cell or sentence it was read from.
| Maximum building height | 160 ft Applies: buildings over 5 stories or 65 ft need a use permit § 18.38.140 · code textThe minimum height of buildings shall be three stories and the maximum height of buildings shall be 14 stories or one hundred sixty feet (160) feet, excluding mechanical penthouses and elevator towers; provided, that they do not exceed 25% of the roof area of the building. |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 14 stories Applies: buildings over 5 stories or 65 ft need a use permit § 18.38.140 · code textThe minimum height of buildings shall be three stories and the maximum height of buildings shall be 14 stories or one hundred sixty feet (160) feet, excluding mechanical penthouses and elevator towers; provided, that they do not exceed 25% of the roof area of the building. |
| Minimum front setback | 15 ft Applies: measured from the face of the parking curb § 18.38.110 · code textFront yard setbacks shall be 15 feet from the face of the parking curb to ensure a comfortable pedestrian environment. |
| Minimum rear setback | None required Applies: except street rear yards, which are 15 ft from the face of the parking curb § 18.38.130 · code textRear yards shall not be required, except that street rear yards shall be 15 feet from the face of the parking curb to ensure a comfortable pedestrian environment. |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 4.2 Applies: all nonresidential uses § 18.38.080 · code textFor all nonresidential uses, the minimum floor area ratio (FAR) shall be 1.0, however the FAR may be reduced to a minimum of 0.5 on previously developed sites that do not meet the minimum 1.0 FAR and where the previously developed sites are proposed for redevelopment at a higher FAR than the previous development, and the maximum shall be 4.2. |
| Maximum density | 165 units per acre Applies: and a minimum of 100 units per acre § 18.38.070 · code textA minimum of 100 units per acre and a maximum of 165 units per acre is permitted. |
Uses in CSMU
Uses the code's use tables allow in CSMU, or allow with a permit. Each links to its page with the code section.
- Child care center — Needs an administrative use permit (zoning administrator approval, chapter 18.54)
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in CSMU:
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft — On Decoto Road; measured from the property line § 18.38.110
Not on this page
We did not find a general side setback, lot size, lot coverage limit for CSMU in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Union City Municipal Code.
Other Union City zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Union City's CSMU zone?
160 ft (buildings over 5 stories or 65 ft need a use permit) — Union City Municipal Code § 18.38.140.
What is the maximum number of stories in Union City's CSMU zone?
14 stories (buildings over 5 stories or 65 ft need a use permit) — Union City Municipal Code § 18.38.140.
What is the minimum front setback in Union City's CSMU zone?
15 ft (measured from the face of the parking curb) — Union City Municipal Code § 18.38.110.
What is the minimum rear setback in Union City's CSMU zone?
None required (except street rear yards, which are 15 ft from the face of the parking curb) — Union City Municipal Code § 18.38.130.
What is the maximum floor area ratio (far) in Union City's CSMU zone?
4.2 (all nonresidential uses) — Union City Municipal Code § 18.38.080.
General information, not legal advice.
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