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Chapter 8.41 — MCSP MIXED RETAIL/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (MCSP MU-RR)

Moraga Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-06 · Moraga

Chapter 8.41 - MCSP MIXED RETAIL/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (MCSP MU-RR)[[7]]

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 316, § 4, adopted June 25, 2025, amended the title of Ch. 8.41 to read as herein set out. The former Ch. 8.41 title pertained to "MCSP Mixed Retail/Residential District (12-20 Dwelling Unit Per Acre) (MCSP MU-RR)."

8.41.010 - Purpose.

The purpose of this district is to provide for commercial development, including community-serving recreational uses, combined with medium or high density residential at densities allowed in Section

8.41.040 of this chapter. This district envisions a flexible mix of land uses with retail or similar use on the first floor and residential uses above the first floor. To encourage activity along the street and enhance the pedestrian experience by creating indoor spaces where pedestrians will see or sense interior activity, all first-floor areas facing School Street must have a retail or active use.

(Ord. No. 293, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

8.41.020 - Permitted uses.

In this district, each of the following uses is permitted by right:

A.

Residential uses at densities allowed in Section 8.41.040 of this chapter;

B.

Home occupations in conformance with Chapter 8.112;

C.

Congregate care housing;

D.

Child day care center; and

E.

The following office, commercial, and retail uses:

1.

Animal services—grooming only;

2.

Antique, collectible stores;

3.

Assembly or meeting facility less than five thousand (5,000) square feet;

4.

Banks and financial services;

5.

Building materials sales and services;

Business support services;

7.

Cultural institutions less than five thousand (5,000) square feet;

8.

Eating and drinking establishments except restaurants with drive-in service;

9.

Fitness facility, health club less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet;

Food, beverage sales;

11.

Hotels;

Licensed massage establishments;

Offices;

Outdoor retail sales;

Personal services, general;

16.

Personal services, improvement or instructional;

Professional services;

Retail business;

Schools—trade schools, vocational training only;

Theater, auditorium;

F.

Business park and industrial uses:

1.

Media production facility;

G.

Public/quasi-public and recreational uses:

1.

Government offices;

Park and outdoor recreational facilities;

H.

Co-housing and the accessory structures and uses normally auxiliary to the structure;

I.

Live-work housing;

J.

Low-barrier navigation centers;

K.

Residential care facilities with six persons or fewer, employee housing with six persons or fewer, and group homes not requiring licensing by the State of California;

L.

Supportive housing and transitional housing of the same type allowed in this district; and

M.

Other uses found by the planning commission at a public hearing to be consistent with the purpose of the district and comparable to any of the foregoing uses.

(Ord. No. 293, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020; Ord. No. 316, § 4, 6-25-2025)

8.41.030 - Conditional uses.

In this district, each of the following uses is permitted on the issuance of a conditional use permit:

A.

Animal services;

B.

Assembly or meeting facilities five thousand (5,000) square feet or greater;

C.

Banquet hall;

D.

Contractors, special trade;

E.

Cultural institutions five thousand (5,000) square feet or greater;

F.

Fitness facility, health club ten thousand (10,000) square feet or greater;

G.

Licensed residential care facilities with seven or more occupants, other than congregate care housing;

H.

Meeting halls for clubs, lodges, and other membership organizations;

I.

Personal services, other;

J.

Secondhand sales;

K.

Religious facility;

L.

Utility facility, transmission towers; and

M.

A use which the planning commission finds at a public hearing to be comparable to any of the foregoing uses.

(Ord. No. 293, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020; Ord. No. 316, § 4, 6-25-2025)

8.41.040 - Residential density.

A.

To the extent consistent with state law, the developer/property owner may choose to develop property in this district at a minimum of twelve (12) dwelling units but not more than twenty-four (24) dwelling units shall be erected on any one acre, except as provided in subsection B of this section.

B.

The allowable density may be increased on any one acre sized parcel in compliance with all applicable state laws.

(Ord. No. 293, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020; Ord. No. 306, § 7(Exh. B, 1), 2-22-2023)

8.41.050 - Development standards.

A.

Development Standards. All development shall conform to the limits identified in the table below, to the extent consistent with state law:

MCSP MIXED RETAIL/RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

Standard
Minimum lot area 10,000 square feet
Minimum lot width 30 feet
Minimum lot depth 100 feet
Minimum width 30 feet
Minimum front yard setback: 0 feet (See A1)
Minimum side yard setback: 0 feet (See A1)
Minimum exterior side yard setback: 0 feet (See A1)
Minimum rear yard setback: 0 feet (See A1)
Minimum lot area 10,000 square feet
Maximum building height (primary) 45 feet (See A1)
Minimum private open space (applies only to
residential uses of development)
Greater than or equal to 5 percent of each dwelling
unit foor area (minimum of 50 square feet and
minimum dimension of 5 feet in each direction)
Minimum building separation for multiple buildings
on a single lot
2-story structures 25 feet (see A2)
3-story structures 35 feet (see A2)
Maximum foor area ratio (applies only to non-
residential uses of development)
0.85
Maximum stories 3 stories
Maximum lot coverage 60 percent
Required residential parking See
Chapter 8.76 (Of-Street Parking and Loading)
Required nonresidential parking See
Chapter 8.76 (Of-Street Parking and Loading)

1.

Proposed developments fronting onto or abutting against a major scenic corridor as defined in Chapter 8.132 (Scenic Corridors) shall be subject to the setback and step back requirements set forth in Section 8.200.050 (Moraga Center Design Requirements).

2.

Where two different building heights are adjacent, taller building controls separation.

B.

First Floor Requirement. All first-floor areas fronting onto or abutting against School Street must have:

1.

A retail business use, eating/drinking establishment, specialty food shop, personal service (general or improvement/instructional), or professional service use; or

2.

The portion of a residential use providing active use amenities, such as a workout room or gym, a building lobby or a lounge; or

3.

Another use found by the planning commission to provide the sense of activity referenced in this standard.

C.

See Section 8.200.050 Moraga Center Design Requirements of the Moraga Municipal Code, and Chapter 11 of the Moraga Design Guidelines for other applicable standards.

(Ord. No. 293, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020; Ord. No. 316, § 5, 6-25-2025)

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Contents — Moraga Zoning Code
Moraga Zoning Code
  1. Chapter 8.04 — GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS
  2. Chapter 8.08 — PLANNING AGENCY
  3. Chapter 8.12 — ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE
  4. Chapter 8.16 — VARIANCE, CONDITIONAL USE AND DESIGN REVIEW PER…
  5. Chapter 8.20 — NONCONFORMING USES, STRUCTURES AND LOTS
  6. Chapter 8.21 — FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) STANDARDS
  7. Chapter 8.22 — RURAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (RR)
  8. Chapter 8.24 — ONE, TWO, AND THREE DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE RES…
  9. Chapter 8.31 — SIX DWELLINGS PER ACRE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL …
  10. Chapter 8.32 — MCSP SIX DWELLINGS PER ACRE MULTIFAMILY RESIDEN…
  11. Chapter 8.33 — TWELVE DWELLING UNIT PER ACRE MULTIFAMILY RESID…
  12. Chapter 8.34 — TWENTY/TWENTY-FOUR DWELLING UNIT PER ACRE RESID…
  13. Chapter 8.36 — COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
  14. Chapter 8.37 — MCSP COMMERCIAL DISTRICT (MCSP-C)
  15. Chapter 8.38 — RHEEM PARK MIXED COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRIC…
  16. Chapter 8.39 — RHEEM PARK MIXED OFFICE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R…
  17. Chapter 8.40 — LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
  18. Chapter 8.41 — MCSP MIXED RETAIL/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (MCSP MU…
  19. Chapter 8.42 — MCSP MIXED OFFICE/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (MCSP MU…
  20. Chapter 8.48 — PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
  21. Chapter 8.50 — PLANNED DEVELOPMENT-COMMERCIAL (PD-C)
  22. Chapter 8.52 — MOSO AND NON-MOSO OPEN SPACE DISTRICTS
  23. Chapter 8.56 — INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT
  24. Chapter 8.65 — MORAGA RANCH OVERLAY DISTRICT
  25. Chapter 8.68 — GENERAL STANDARDS FOR LOTS, YARDS, SETBACKS, FE…
  26. Chapter 8.70 — ACCESSORY STRUCTURES AND BUILDINGS
  27. Chapter 8.72 — DESIGN REVIEW
  28. Chapter 8.76 — OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING
  29. Chapter 8.80 — SIGHT OBSTRUCTIONS
  30. Chapter 8.84 — DRAINAGE AND TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS
  31. Chapter 8.88 — SIGNS
  32. Chapter 8.92 — ANIMAL KEEPING
  33. Chapter 8.96 — CONDOMINIUM CONVERSIONS
  34. Chapter 8.100 — CONTRACT ZONING
  35. Chapter 8.104 — DENSITY TRANSFER
  36. Chapter 8.108 — FLOOD HAZARD AREA REGULATIONS
  37. Chapter 8.110 — FIRE HAZARD AREA REGULATIONS
  38. Chapter 8.112 — HOME OCCUPATIONS
  39. Chapter 8.114 — SHORT-TERM RENTALS
  40. Chapter 8.116 — HOUSE MOVING
  41. Chapter 8.120 — VEHICLE STORAGE AND REPAIR
  42. Chapter 8.124 — ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS
  43. Chapter 8.128 — RIDGELINE PROTECTION
  44. Chapter 8.132 — SCENIC CORRIDORS
  45. Chapter 8.136 — HILLSIDE DEVELOPMENT
  46. Chapter 8.140 — PARK DEDICATIONS
  47. Chapter 8.144 — WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES, SATELLITE …
  48. Chapter 8.148 — MISCELLANEOUS USE RESTRICTIONS
  49. Chapter 8.152 — USE OF RECYCLED WATER IN LANDSCAPING
  50. Chapter 8.160 — CANNABIS CULTIVATION, DISTRIBUTION, PROCESSING…
  51. Chapter 8.164 — EMERGENCY SHELTERS
  52. Chapter 8.168 — REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
  53. Chapter 8.172 — DENSITY BONUS
  54. Chapter 8.176 — HISTORIC PRESERVATION
  55. Chapter 8.178 — MODEL WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
  56. Chapter 8.180 — AFFORDABLE HOUSING
  57. Chapter 8.200 — MORAGA CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN AREA REGULATIONS
  58. Chapter 8.210 — RHEEM PARK OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS

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