Woodside — Overlay Districts

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Woodside’s zoning chapter (Chapter 153) uses a small number of expressly‑named overlay districts that modify base zoning rules in narrowly defined places and circumstances. The two overlay types most clearly established in the Code are the Planned Community Commercial District (PCCD) and the Multi‑Family Residential Development Overlay Zone (MFOZ); both alter or layer rules onto an underlying base district rather than replace the base zoning entirely. The Code also establishes review areas and mapped controls (for example the Community Commercial District building‑height map and the zoning map) that operate like overlays for design/height purposes. See the Town zoning map and review standards to locate where overlays apply (§ 153.103; § 153.912).

How this page is organized

• District‑by‑district summaries of overlay rules and where they apply.
• A short, decision‑oriented table of the most relevant numeric standards and procedural triggers.
• A practical applicant checklist, known risks/ambiguities, plain‑English summary, and source citations.

Overlay districts (district‑by‑district)

Planned Community Commercial District — PCCD

• Purpose (plain English): The PCCD is an overlay that may be applied to property inside the Community Commercial (CC/CCD) district to allow a coordinated, flexible commercial plan for a specific parcel or group of parcels while securing public benefits and additional design review. PCCD is not a separate base zone; it overlays the CCD. § 153.109
• Typical permitted uses: Uses are generally those allowed in the Community Commercial district (retail, small offices and local services), but a PCCD can establish project‑specific rules (called "PCCD rules") that tailor permitted uses and development standards for the PCCD area—subject to limits described below. § 153.109
• Key dimensional and program limits:
  • A PCCD may not change the applicable height and parking standards of the CCD; other quantified CCD rules may not be changed by more than 25% via PCCD rules. § 153.109(B)
  • A formal conceptual plan is required with any PCCD application and, if approved, becomes part of the zoning map for the Town. The Code lists required conceptual plan elements (land uses, building locations, elevations, FAR/maximum heights, circulation, landscaping/tree removal, parking plans, etc.). § 153.109(C)(1)
• Where it applies / how established: A PCCD can only be created for property already in a CCD through the ordinance amendment process (application may be initiated by Council, Planning Commission, or a property owner). PCCD rules become part of the zoning ordinances after approval and are subject to the Town’s rezoning/amendment procedures. § 153.109(A), (I), (M); §§ 153.961–153.965
• Procedural highlights: PCCD proposals are submitted with a conceptual plan and are routed to the Architectural and Site Review Board (ASRB) for review and recommendation prior to Planning review. The PCCD framework also anticipates conditional use and specific development plan steps tied to implementation. § 153.109(C)(2); § 153.109(I)

Practical guidance: Expect thorough design, circulation, and parking analysis; you cannot use the PCCD process to substantially avoid baseline CCD height and parking limits (see the 25% cap on deviations). Verify exact CCD numerical standards (height, parking ratios) from the CCD rules and the CCD building height map before proposing PCCD rule changes. § 153.109(B)

Multi‑Family Residential Development Overlay Zone — MFOZ

• Purpose (plain English): The MFOZ is an overlay applied specifically to portions of the San Mateo County Community College (Cañada College) campus parcels mapped in the Town; it is intended to allow multi‑family residential development on campus parcels under clearly‑defined rules that differ from surrounding residential districts. § 153.101 (list) and descriptive paragraph
• Typical permitted uses: Multi‑family housing where an area of the campus is rezoned to MFRZ (Multi‑Family Residential Zone) and an MFOZ overlay is established. Multi‑family housing may only be proposed on portions of the campus with an MFRZ designation created by a zoning amendment. § 153.101(H)
• Key dimensional standards:
  • The overlay allows development of up to 20 units per acre where the MFRZ is established (the Code ties unit‑density limits to the MFRZ/MF‑20 rules). Applicants must meet the multi‑family development standards found in § 153.110 (development standards for MF, MF‑20, and MFRZ districts). § 153.101(H); § 153.110
• Where it applies: Applied only to Cañada College campus parcels as mapped on the Town zoning map; the overlay requires a zoning amendment to put specific campus acreage into MFRZ. § 153.101(H); § 153.103
• Procedural highlights: Multi‑family proposals under MFOZ will be subject to the objective design standards established for the Cañada College campus and the standard rezoning/amendment process in §§ 153.961–153.965. § 153.101(H); §§ 153.961–153.965

Practical guidance: MFOZ is location‑specific and tied to campus planning documents and “objective design standards” referenced in the Code—expect the rezoning/overlay application to require campus‑level design compliance and clear parcel descriptions. Verify the campus‑specific objective standards with the Planning Department. § 153.101(H)

Community Commercial District (CC / CCD) — overlay interactions to know

• Why it matters: The CCD contains a separate building‑height map (the "CCD Map") and specific limits for parcels in different map areas; the PCCD overlay explicitly sits on top of a CCD and cannot override certain CCD standards (height, parking). § 153.208(A)(2–3); § 153.109(B)
• Key numeric standards you will encounter in CCD:
  • Maximum building coverage in the CC (Community Commercial) district: 20% (Table K / § 153.210). § 153.210
  • CCD building height specifics (map areas A/B and distances to Woodside Road/Highway 35) are in § 153.208 and Table I‑3; consult the CCD Map on file at Town Hall for parcel‑level limits. § 153.208(A)(2–3); § 153.103
• Design Review & review triggers: Projects within the CCD and any PCCD proposal are routed through the Town’s architectural and site review process; see the required reviewing bodies and thresholds (Table Q / § 153.912). § 153.912

Practical guidance: For any overlay work that touches the CCD (including PCCD), confirm the parcel’s location on the CCD Map and the applicable area (A or B) before proposing height/parking changes; design review thresholds are cumulative and can change which body (ASRB, Planning Commission) makes the decision. § 153.208; § 153.912

Quick decision table — most relevant standards and code references

Checklist — what an applicant proposing an overlay‑affected project must satisfy

• Confirm the parcel's base zoning and any overlays on the Town Zoning Map at Town Hall (Zoning Map / § 153.103).
• For a PCCD: prepare a full conceptual plan showing uses, building locations, elevations, FAR/maximum heights, circulation, landscaping/tree removal, and parking analysis as required by § 153.109(C)(1).
• Confirm whether proposed PCCD rules would alter height or parking standards; if so the Code generally prohibits such changes (PCCD cannot change applicable CCD height and parking standards). § 153.109(B)
• Prepare materials for the Architectural and Site Review Board (ASRB) review as required (PCCD conceptual plan routed to ASRB). § 153.109(C)(2)
• Check design‑review thresholds (ASRB vs Planning Commission) and include required plans and environmental information per § 153.912 (Table Q).
• Demonstrate compliance with numeric development standards that still apply (setbacks per Table H / § 153.207; building coverage per § 153.210; heights per § 153.208 and the CCD Map).
• If proposing changes to the zoning map (create MFOZ / MFRZ or PCCD establishment), follow rezoning/amendment procedures in §§ 153.961–153.965 and file the required materials/fees.

If the project involves parking impacts, coordinate those analyses with the Town’s parking standards and include a parking plan in the conceptual package. § 153.109(C)(1)(h)

(See also the Town’s pages on Woodside Parking, Woodside Development Standards, and Woodside Design Review for procedural checklists and submittal formats.)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

Woodside’s overlay regimes are narrow and site‑specific: PCCD is an overlay that can be placed on Community Commercial (CCD) parcels to create a project‑specific rule set (but it may not replace CCD height and parking rules), and the MFOZ is an overlay tied to mapped portions of the Cañada College campus to permit multi‑family housing where the campus parcel is rezoned to MFRZ; all overlays rely on the Town zoning map and go through the Town’s conceptual, ASRB, and rezoning procedures in the Code. § 153.109; § 153.101(H); § 153.103; § 153.912.

Information Gaps

• A printed copy or full image of the Town Zoning Map / CCD Building Height Map (parcel‑level overlay boundaries) is not included in the retrieved text excerpts — the Code states the map is “on file at Town Hall” but that map image/details were not in the materials retrieved. § 153.103
• The campus “objective design standards” that the MFOZ requires are referenced but not reproduced in the retrieved materials — the Code directs compliance but the standards themselves are not in the excerpts. § 153.101(H)
• The Code references fees to be set by Town Council resolution for PCCD applications but the actual fee schedule/resolution text was not included in the retrieved materials. § 153.109(M)

If you need parcel‑specific overlay boundaries or the campus objective standards, verify with the Planning Department or request the specific map/design standard documents referenced in the Code. § 153.103; § 153.101(H)

Source References

• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning (Chapter 153). Key citations used in this page include: § 153.109 (Planned Community Commercial District / PCCD).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.101 (establishment of zoning districts; includes MFOZ description).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.103 (Zoning map; maps on file).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.208 / Table I‑3 (Height requirements / CCD Map references).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.210 (Table K) (building coverage limits for CC).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.207 (Table H) (setback requirements referenced throughout).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.110 (multi‑family development standards for MF / MFRZ).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. § 153.912 (required architectural and site review thresholds / scenic corridors).
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. §§ 153.961–153.965 (amendment/rezone procedures).

Related GoCodebook pages (useful next steps): Woodside zoning & planning overview, Woodside Zoning, Woodside Development Standards, Woodside Parking, Woodside Design Review, Woodside ADUs, California Building Standards Code.

Retrieved passages

• Woodside Zoning Code (chapter for) High relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (Section 153.414) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (chapter for) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (Chapter 152) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (Section 115.12.) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (Section 153.005) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (section shall) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (§ 2) Medium relevance show source text
• Woodside Zoning Code (§ 153.501) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning (Chapter 153). Key citations used in this page include: **§ 153.109** (Planned Community Commercial District / PCCD). (Chapter 153)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.101** (establishment of zoning districts; includes **MFOZ** description). (§ 153.101)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.103** (Zoning map; maps on file). (§ 153.103)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.208 / Table I‑3** (Height requirements / CCD Map references). (§ 153.208)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.210 (Table K)** (building coverage limits for CC). (§ 153.210)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.207 (Table H)** (setback requirements referenced throughout). (§ 153.207)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.110** (multi‑family development standards for MF / MFRZ). (§ 153.110)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§ 153.912** (required architectural and site review thresholds / scenic corridors). (§ 153.912)
• Woodside Municipal Code — Zoning. **§§ 153.961–153.965** (amendment/rezone procedures). (§ 153.961)
• Woodside_ZoningCode.md

• Official Woodside code library