Calistoga · Zoning · DC
Calistoga DC zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Calistoga's DC zone, generally buildings can be up to 30 ft (2 stories) tall, the front setback is 0 ft and the minimum lot size is 5,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Calistoga code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 30 ft (Principal buildings)
- Maximum number of stories: 2 stories (Principal buildings)
- Minimum front setback: 0 ft
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft (5 ft if abutting or adjacent to a residential district)
- Minimum rear setback: 0 ft (10 ft if abutting or adjacent to a residential district)
- Minimum lot size: 5,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 80% (More coverage may be allowed with a use permit)
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 200% (Nonresidential uses; floor area devoted to residential uses is excluded from this calculation)
DC (Downtown Commercial District) is a zoning district in Calistoga. Every value below was read from the Calistoga 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 DC
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 | 30 ft Applies: Principal buildings § 17.21.060 · code texta. Principal buildings: 30 feet, with the following exceptions: |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 2 stories Applies: Principal buildings § 17.21.060 · code text2. Maximum number of stories for principal buildings: two stories; provided, that three stories may be authorized by a use permit pursuant to Chapter 17.40 CMC. |
| Minimum front setback | 0 ft § 17.21.060 · code texta. Front yard: zero feet, unless directly across the street from a residential district, in which case the setback shall be 20 feet. |
| Minimum side setback | 0 ft Applies: 5 ft if abutting or adjacent to a residential district § 17.21.060 · code textb. Interior side yard: zero feet, unless abutting or adjacent to a residential district, in which case the setback shall be five feet. |
| Minimum rear setback | 0 ft Applies: 10 ft if abutting or adjacent to a residential district § 17.21.060 · code textd. Rear yard: zero feet, unless abutting or adjacent to a residential district, in which case the setback shall be 10 feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 5,000 sq ft § 17.21.055 · code textA. Minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 80% Applies: More coverage may be allowed with a use permit § 17.21.060 · code text1. Maximum lot coverage: 80 percent. |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 200% Applies: Nonresidential uses; floor area devoted to residential uses is excluded from this calculation § 17.21.060 · code text1. Maximum floor area for nonresidential uses: 200 percent. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in DC:
- Maximum building height: 25 ft — Commercial building abuts or adjoins a parcel in a residential district § 17.21.060
- Maximum number of stories: 3 stories — May be authorized by a use permit pursuant to Chapter 17.40 CMC § 17.21.060
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft — Principal building directly across the street from a residential district § 17.21.060
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft — Principal building abutting or adjacent to a residential district § 17.21.060
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft — Principal building abutting or adjacent to a residential district § 17.21.060
Not on this page
We did not find a general density limit for DC in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Calistoga Municipal Code.
Other Calistoga zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Calistoga's DC zone?
30 ft (principal buildings) — Calistoga Municipal Code § 17.21.060.
What is the maximum number of stories in Calistoga's DC zone?
2 stories (principal buildings) — Calistoga Municipal Code § 17.21.060.
What is the minimum front setback in Calistoga's DC zone?
0 ft — Calistoga Municipal Code § 17.21.060.
What is the minimum side setback in Calistoga's DC zone?
0 ft (5 ft if abutting or adjacent to a residential district) — Calistoga Municipal Code § 17.21.060.
What is the minimum rear setback in Calistoga's DC zone?
0 ft (10 ft if abutting or adjacent to a residential district) — Calistoga Municipal Code § 17.21.060.
General information, not legal advice.
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