Seaside · Land use · Church or place of worship
Where is a church or other place of worship allowed in Seaside?
In Seaside, a church or other place of worship is needs a permit in 8 (CMX, CC, CRG, CH, RS and 3 more) and not allowed in 4 (Seaside use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Needs a permit: CMX, CC, CRG, CH, RS, RM, RH and PI
- Not allowed: CA, OSR, OSC and M
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Seaside Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.
Zones where a church or other place of worship can go
Seaside's code calls this use “Club, church, community center, lodge, or meeting facility, public or private”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.
The code defines “Meeting Facility”: “A facility for public or private meetings, including community centers, religious assembly facilities (e.g., churches, mosques, synagogues, etc.), civic and private auditoriums, grange halls, union halls, meeting halls for clubs and other membership” (§ 17.98.020)
| Zone | Status | Code |
|---|---|---|
| CMX Commercial Mixed Use | Needs an use permit | § 17.14.030 |
| CC Community Commercial | Needs an use permit | § 17.14.030 |
| CRG Regional Commercial | Needs an use permit | § 17.14.030 |
| CH Heavy Commercial | Needs an use permit | § 17.14.030 |
| RS Single-Family Residential | Needs an use permit Code row: “Meeting facility, public or private” | § 17.12.030 |
| RM Medium Density Residential | Needs an use permit Code row: “Meeting facility, public or private” | § 17.12.030 |
| RH High Density Residential | Needs an use permit Code row: “Meeting facility, public or private” | § 17.12.030 |
| PI Public/Institutional | Needs a minor use permit Code row: “Meeting facility, public or private” | § 17.18.030 |
Zones where it is not allowed
What else applies
- No size split. Residential and PI/OSR/OSC/M tables name only "Meeting facility, public or private".
- State law: Federal law (RLUIPA) bars zoning rules that treat religious assembly worse than other assembly uses.
- Not covered here: Coastal zoning districts CPOS, CVSC, CVSR, CMX/WBUVSP, CCRG, CCH, CTC (Title 18, Table 2): a separate coastal table where P means "principal use, coastal permit required". Cells for them are left out; the orchestrator can decide whether to add them. Only kennel and a few uses appear there (kennel: UP in CCH only).; West Broadway Urban Village specific plan (LCP Appendix C); Multi-family housing rows and other uses in the PI/OSR/OSC/M zones that have no row. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in Seaside
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a church or other place of worship in the CMX zone in Seaside?
Only with an use permit. Seaside's use table lists it that way in CMX (Commercial Mixed Use) (§ 17.14.030).
Can I have a church or other place of worship in the CA zone in Seaside?
No. Seaside's use table does not allow it in CA (Automotive Regional Commercial) (§ 17.14.030).
General information, not legal advice.
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