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Title 17 — ZONING REGULATIONS CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

Chapter 17.06 — ZONES ESTABLISHED AND ZONING MAP

San Luis Obispo Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-06 · San Luis Obispo

17.06.010 – Purpose

The purpose of this Chapter is to establish the zones applied to property within the City and to adopt the City’s zoning map.

17.06.020 – Designation of Zones

  • A. General. The City is divided into zones to allow for orderly, planned development and to implement the General Plan.

  • B. Base Zone. Every parcel shall have a base zone that establishes the primary type and intensity of land use permitted, along with development regulations for that particular type and intensity of land use.

  • C. Overlay Zone. An overlay zone supplements the base zone for the purpose of establishing special use or development regulations for a particular area in addition to the provisions of the underlying base zone. In the event of conflict between the base zone regulations and the overlay zone regulations, the provisions of the overlay zone shall apply.

  • D. Zones Established. All zones shall be listed and appropriately designated on the official zoning map. For purposes of the regulations set out in this T t itle, the following zones are created:

Table 1-1: Zones Established

**Established.**All zones shall be listed and appropriately designated on the official zoni
s of the regulations set out in this Ttitle, the following zones are created:
Table 1-1: Zones Established
Residential Zones
R-1 Low-Density Residential
R-2 Medium-Density Residential
R-3 Medium-High Density Residential
R-4 High-Density Residential
Nonresidential Zones
AG Agricultural
C/OS Conservation/Open Space
O Office
PF Public Facility
C-N Neighborhood Commercial
C-C Community Commercial
C-D Downtown Commercial
C-R Retail Commercial
C-T Tourist Commercial
C-S Service Commercial
M Industrial

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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ZONING REGULATIONS – TITLE 17

Table 1-1: Zones Established

Table 1-1: Zones Established
Overlay Zones
AO Airport Overlay
D Downtown Overlay
SP Specific Plan
H Historic Overlay
MU Mixed Use Overlay
S Special Considerations Overlay
S-F Special Focus Overlay
PD Planned Development Overlay

17.06.030 – Official Zoning Map

All areas within the City shall be designated within a zone. The boundaries, designations, map symbols and locations of the zones established by the Zoning Regulations shall be shown upon the map(s) entitled "City of San Luis Obispo Zoning Map" and referred to in the Zoning Regulations as the Zoning Map. The official Zoning Map, which shall depict all duly adopted zones, is as much a part of these regulations as if it were fully contained in this document. The official Zoning Map shall be maintained by and in the Community Development Department, and for convenience in more easily identifying zone boundaries may be divided into parts.

17.06.040 – Uncertainty of Boundaries

  • A. General. Boundaries between zones generally follow lot lines or their extensions, physical features, or contour lines, as noted on the official Zoning Map. Boundaries adjoining streets shall be assumed to follow the centerlines of streets if such location becomes an issue in the use of private property, as when a street is abandoned. Zones which meet a street centerline shall not be considered “adjacent.”

  • B. Split Zoning. A split-zoned parcel is a parcel to which two or more base zones apply (which does not include overlay zones). All applicable zoning regulations for each particular zone shall be applied separately for each portion of a parcel that is split-zoned. This includes the front, rear and side setback regulations, regardless of the standard setback definition provided in Chapter 17 .XX 1 58 (General Definitions), as well as any applicable lot coverage regulations.

  • C. Determination. The location of boundaries which are not readily determined by inspection of the official Zoning Map shall be determined by the Director.

17.06.050 – Classification of Annexed Lands and Unclassified Property

Any area annexed to the City shall be prezoned consistent with the General Plan or zoned C/OS until rezoned after annexation.

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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ZONING REGULATIONS – TITLE 17

CHAPTER 17.08. RESERVED

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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ZONING REGULATIONS – TITLE 17

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Contents — San Luis Obispo Zoning Code
San Luis Obispo Zoning Code
  1. Title 17 — ZONING REGULATIONS CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
    Overview
    1. Article 1 — ENACTMENT, APPLICABILITY, AND ENFORCEMENT
    2. Chapter 17.02 — PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY OF THE ZONING REGULA…
    3. Chapter 17.04 — INTERPRETATION OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS
    4. Chapter 17.06 — ZONES ESTABLISHED AND ZONING MAP
    5. Chapter 17.12 — AGRICULTURAL (AG) ZONE
    6. Chapter 17.14 — CONSERVATION/OPEN SPACE (C/OS) ZONE
    7. Chapter 17.16 — LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-1) ZONE
    8. Chapter 17.18 — MEDIUM-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-2) ZONE
    9. Chapter 17.20 — MEDIUM-HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-3) ZONE
    10. Chapter 17.22 — HIGH-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-4) ZONE
    11. Chapter 17.24 — OFFICE (O) ZONE
    12. Chapter 17.26 — NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL (C-N) ZONE
    13. Chapter 17.28 — COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (C-C) ZONE
    14. Chapter 17.30 — RETAIL COMMERCIAL (C-R) ZONE
    15. Chapter 17.32 — DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL (C-D) ZONE
    16. Chapter 17.34 — TOURIST COMMERCIAL (C-T) ZONE
    17. Chapter 17.36 — SERVICE COMMERCIAL (C-S) ZONE
    18. Chapter 17.38 — RESERVED
    19. Chapter 17.40 — MANUFACTURING (M) ZONE
    20. Chapter 17.42 — BUSINESS PARK (BP) ZONE
    21. Chapter 17.44 — RESERVED
    22. Chapter 17.46 — PUBLIC FACILITY (PF) ZONE
    23. Chapter 17.48 — PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD) OVERLAY ZONE
    24. Chapter 17.50 — SPECIFIC PLAN (SP) OVERLAY ZONE
    25. Chapter 17.52 — SPECIAL FOCUS AREA (S-F) OVERLAY ZONE
    26. Chapter 17.54 — DOWNTOWN (D) OVERLAY ZONE
    27. Chapter 17.56 — HISTORICAL PRESERVATION (H) OVERLAY ZONE
    28. Chapter 17.58 — MIXED USE (MU) OVERLAY ZONE
    29. Chapter 17.60 — SPECIAL CONSIDERATION (S) OVERLAY ZONE
    30. Chapter 17.62 — RESERVED
    31. Chapter 17.64 — AIRPORT (AOZ) OVERLAY ZONE
    32. Chapter 17.66 — RESERVED
    33. Chapter 17.70 — SITE DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STAND…
    34. Chapter 17.72 — ~~PARKING AND LOADINGP~~ ARKING AND LOADING
    35. Chapter 17.74 — PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
    36. Chapter 17.76 — PROPERTY MAINTENANCE STANDARDS
    37. Chapter 17.78 — FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION
    38. Chapter 17.80 — STREET REGULATIONS
    39. Chapter 17.90 — RESERVED
    40. Chapter 17.92 — NONCONFORMING STRUCTURES
    41. Chapter 17.94 — NONCONFORMING USES
    42. Chapter 17.96 — NONCONFORMING LOTS
    43. Chapter 17.104 — PERMIT APPLICATION FILING AND PROCESSING
    44. Chapter 17.106 — DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
    45. Chapter 17.108 — DIRECTOR’S ACTION
    46. Chapter 17.109 — DIRECTOR’S HEARING
    47. Chapter 17.110 — MINOR USE PERMITS AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS
    48. Chapter 17.112 — REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
    49. Chapter 17.113 — TEMPORARY USE PERMITS
    50. Chapter 17.114 — VARIANCES
    51. Chapter 17.120 — ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY
    52. Chapter 17.122 — PUBLIC NOTICES AND HEARINGS
    53. Chapter 17.124 — AMENDMENTS - ZONING REGULATIONS AND ZONING MAP
    54. Chapter 17.126 — APPEALS
    55. Chapter 17.128 — DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS
    56. Chapter 17.130 — GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS
    57. Chapter 17.132 — ENFORCEMENT
    58. Chapter 17.138 — INCLUSIONARY HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
    59. Chapter 17.140 — AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVES
    60. Chapter 17.142 — DOWNTOWN HOUSING CONVERSION REGULATIONS
    61. Chapter 17.144 — RESIDENTIAL GROWTH MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
    62. Chapter 17.146 — RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY STANDARDS
    63. Chapter 17.148 — HIGH-OCCUPANCY RESIDENTIAL USE REGULATIONS
    64. Chapter 17.154 — DEFINITIONS PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION 17.154.0…
    65. Chapter 17.158 — GENERAL DEFINITIONS

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