Menlo Park · Zoning · R-MU
Menlo Park R-MU zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Menlo Park's R-MU zone, generally buildings can be up to 40 ft tall, the front setback is 0 ft and the minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet, with the conditions listed below (Menlo Park code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 40 ft (Base Level; maximum height.)
- Minimum front setback: 0 ft
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft
- Minimum lot size: 20,000 square feet (Base Level)
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 60% to 90% (Residential floor area, Base Level. Rises evenly from 60% at 20 du/ac to 90% at 30 du/ac.)
- Maximum density: 20 du/acre to 30 du/acre (Base Level. The code sets a range: at least 20, at most 30 du/acre.)
R-MU (Residential Mixed Use 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-MU
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 | 40 ft Applies: Base Level; maximum height. § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Height”, column “Base Level”: Height: 35 feet Maximum height: 40 feet |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 0 ft § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Minimum setback at street”, column “Base Level”: 0 feet |
| Minimum side setback | 10 ft § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Minimum interior side and rear setbacks”, column “Base Level”: 10 feet |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Minimum interior side and rear setbacks”, column “Base Level”: 10 feet |
| Minimum lot size | 20,000 square feet Applies: Base Level § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Minimum lot area”, column “Base Level”: 20,000 square feet |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 60% to 90% Applies: Residential floor area, Base Level. Rises evenly from 60% at 20 du/ac to 90% at 30 du/ac. § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Maximum residential floor area ratio (FAR)”, column “Base Level”: 60% to 90% |
| Maximum density | 20 du/acre to 30 du/acre Applies: Base Level. The code sets a range: at least 20, at most 30 du/acre. § 16.45.050 · code textTable row “Density”, column “Base Level”: 20 du/acre to 30 du/acre |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-MU:
- Maximum building height: 70 ft — Bonus Level; maximum height. § 16.45.050
- Maximum building height: 35 ft — Base Level; average height of all buildings on the site. The maximum is 40 ft. § 16.45.050
- Maximum building height: 52.5 ft — Bonus Level; average height of all buildings on the site. The maximum is 70 ft. § 16.45.050
- Maximum building height: Add 10 ft — Properties in the flood zone or subject to flooding and sea level rise may add 10 ft to height and maximum height. § 16.45.050
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft — Interior side setback only, for the entire building mass where there is retail frontage. § 16.45.050
- Minimum lot size: 25,000 square feet — Bonus Level § 16.45.050
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): >90% to 225% — Bonus Level, residential floor area ratio. § 16.45.050
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 15% — Maximum nonresidential floor area ratio; nonresidential uses permitted subject to residential development. § 16.45.050
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 25% — Bonus Level; nonresidential uses permitted subject to residential development. § 16.45.050
- Maximum density: >30 du/acre to 100 du/acre — Bonus Level § 16.45.050
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot coverage limit for R-MU 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-MU zone?
40 ft (base Level; maximum height) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.45.050.
What is the minimum front setback in Menlo Park's R-MU zone?
0 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.45.050.
What is the minimum side setback in Menlo Park's R-MU zone?
10 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.45.050.
What is the minimum rear setback in Menlo Park's R-MU zone?
10 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.45.050.
What is the minimum lot size in Menlo Park's R-MU zone?
20,000 square feet (base Level) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.45.050.
General information, not legal advice.
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