Menlo Park · Zoning · R-3-A
Menlo Park R-3-A zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Menlo Park's R-3-A zone, generally buildings can be up to No limit tall, the front setback is 15 ft and the minimum lot size is 10,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Menlo Park code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: No limit (each required yard increases 1 ft in width for each foot of height above 35 ft)
- Minimum front setback: 15 ft
- Minimum side setback: 25% of main building height, min 5 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft
- Minimum lot size: 10,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 55%
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 45%
R-3-A (Garden Apartment Residential District) is a zoning district in Menlo Park. Every value below was read from the Menlo Park 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 R-3-A
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 | No limit Applies: each required yard increases 1 ft in width for each foot of height above 35 ft § 16.24.030 · code textHeight of structures shall not be limited; provided, however, that for each foot of height above thirty-five feet (35'), each required yard shall be increased one foot (1') in width; |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 15 ft § 16.24.030 · code textRequired minimum yards: fifteen feet (15') front, ten feet (10') rear; interior side twenty-five percent (25%) height of main building but not less than five feet (5'); corner side ten feet (10'); |
| Minimum side setback | 25% of main building height, min 5 ft § 16.24.030 · code textRequired minimum yards: fifteen feet (15') front, ten feet (10') rear; interior side twenty-five percent (25%) height of main building but not less than five feet (5'); corner side ten feet (10'); |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft § 16.24.030 · code textRequired minimum yards: fifteen feet (15') front, ten feet (10') rear; interior side twenty-five percent (25%) height of main building but not less than five feet (5'); corner side ten feet (10'); |
| Minimum lot size | 10,000 sq ft § 16.24.030 · code textMinimum lot area: ten thousand (10,000) square feet; |
| Maximum lot coverage | 55% § 16.24.030 · code textLand cover by all structures shall not exceed fifty-five percent (55%) of building site; |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 45% § 16.24.030 · code textFloor area ratio: the sum of the gross floor area of all buildings shall not exceed forty-five percent (45%) of the total lot area. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-3-A:
- Minimum front setback: Increase 1 ft for each foot of height above 35 ft — For each foot of structure height above 35 feet § 16.24.030
- Minimum side setback: Increase 1 ft for each foot of height above 35 ft — For each foot of structure height above 35 feet § 16.24.030
- Minimum rear setback: Increase 1 ft for each foot of height above 35 ft — For each foot of structure height above 35 feet § 16.24.030
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, density limit for R-3-A in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Menlo Park Municipal Code.
Other Menlo Park zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Menlo Park's R-3-A zone?
No limit (each required yard increases 1 ft in width for each foot of height above 35 ft) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.24.030.
What is the minimum front setback in Menlo Park's R-3-A zone?
15 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.24.030.
What is the minimum side setback in Menlo Park's R-3-A zone?
25% of main building height, min 5 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.24.030.
What is the minimum rear setback in Menlo Park's R-3-A zone?
10 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.24.030.
What is the minimum lot size in Menlo Park's R-3-A zone?
10,000 sq ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.24.030.
General information, not legal advice.
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