Town Center (TC)
San Diego Municipal Code § 153.0306
in effect§153.0306 Town Center (TC)
(a) Permitted Uses
In the TC Zone, no building or improvement, or portion thereof, may be erected, constructed, converted, established, altered or enlarged, nor may any premises be used except for one or more of the following purposes:
(1) Advertising, secretarial and telephone answering services
(2) Antique shops
(3) Apartments
(4) Apparel shops
(5) Automobile wash establishments
(6) Bakeries
(7) Barber shops
(8) Beauty shops.
(9) Bicycle shops
(10) Book stores
(11) Building materials stores, provided that any open storage areas are completely enclosed by walls or buildings or a combination thereof; said walls and buildings shall be not less than 6 feet in height, and provided also there shall be no outdoor storage of merchandise, materials, equipment or other goods to a height greater than that of any enclosing wall or building
(12) Business and professional office uses. Such uses may include accountants, advertising agencies, architects, attorneys, contractors, doctors, engineers, financial institutions, insurance agencies, medical clinics (no overnight patients), photographers, real estate brokers, securities brokers, surveyors and graphic artists
(A) Such lot or parcel may not be used by one or more practitioners who, among them, medically treat, or medically or psychologically counsel, on a group or individual basis, five or more persons in one calendar year who have committed, been charged by criminal indictment or complaint, or convicted of a sex-related offense outside the family unit as defined in the California Penal Code, Part 1, Title 9, Chapter 1, or in Sections 286, 286.5, 288, 288a, 289 of Chapter 5, or in Section 314 of Chapter 8, or any amendment or recodification of any such sections, if such lot or parcel is located within 1,000 feet of any premises occupied by an elementary, junior, or senior high school.
(B) This restriction applies only to medical and counseling services which are directly related to physical or psychological treatment for the sex-related offenses committed and described in the above California Penal Code sections. Court ordered forensic evaluations are exempt services.
(13) Business machine sales display and service
(14) Confectioneries
(15) Curtain and drapery shops
(16) Dairy stores, including drive-ins
(17) Drafting and blueprint services
(18) Drug stores
(19) Dry cleaning establishments (no truck delivery of finished cleaning)
(20) Dry cleaning and laundry agencies and self-service dry cleaning and laundry establishments
(21) Dry goods stores
(22) Electronic data processing, tabulating and record keeping services
(23) Employment agencies
(24) Equipment and tool rental establishments (no man-ridden equipment); provided that any open storage areas are completely enclosed by walls or buildings or a combination thereof; said walls and buildings shall be not less than 6 feet in height, and provided also there shall be no outdoor storage of merchandise, materials, equipment or other goods to a height greater than that of any enclosing wall or building
(25) Financial institutions
(26) Florists
(27) Food stores
(28) Frozen food lockers
(29) Furniture stores
(30) Gymnasium and health studios
(31) Hardware stores
(32) Hobby shops
(33) Jewelry stores
(34) Labor unions (no hiring halls) and trade associations
(35) Leather goods and luggage shops
(36) Library
(37) Liquor stores
(38) Locksmith shops
(39) Medical appliance sales
(40) Medical, dental, biological and X-ray laboratories
(41) Music stores
(42) Nurseries - plant
(43) Office furniture and equipment sales
(44) Paint and wallpaper stores
(45) Pet shops
(46) Pharmacies
(47) Photographic equipment, supplies, and film processing stores
(48) Photographic studios
(49) Post offices
(50) Private clubs, fraternal organizations and lodges
(51) Radio, television and home appliance repair shops
(52) Recreational facilities including bowling lanes, miniature golf courses, skating rinks, gymnasiums and health centers
(53) Restaurants
(54) Shoe repair shops
(55) Shoe stores
(56) Sporting goods stores
(57) Stationers
(58) Studios for teaching of art, dancing and music
(59) Theaters, nightclubs and bars, with or without live entertainment, or any combination thereof.
(60) Trade and business schools
(61) Travel Bureaus
(62) Variety stores
(b) Accessory uses for any of the foregoing permitted uses including signs constructed, fabricated, erected, installed, attached, fastened, placed, positioned, operated and abated in accordance with the regulations as set forth in Section 153.0403 (Permanent and Temporary Signage Guidelines), Land Development Code Chapter 12, Article 9, Division 8 (Sign Permit Procedures) and Chapter 14, Article 2, Division 12 (Sign Regulations)
(c) Any other use which the Planning Commission may find, in accordance with Process Four, to be similar in character to the uses, including accessory uses, enumerated in this section and consistent with the purpose and intent of this zone. The adopted resolution embodying such finding shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk
(d) Development Regulations
Except as provided in Section 153.0306(e), the development regulations of Land Development Code Chapter 13, Article 1, Division 5 (Commercial Base Zones) for the CC-1-3 zone shall apply.
(e) Regulations for Residential Development
(1) Residential Density. The maximum density allowed within the TC Zone shall be 60 dwelling units per net residential acre. The maximum dwelling units allowed in the total TC Zone area shall be 799 dwelling units.
(2) Minimum Project Area Regulations. The minimum project area in the TC Zone shall be 6,000 square feet.
(3) Open Space
(A) The open space provided on the property shall not be less than that shown in Table 153-03E.
Table 153-03E
Total Required O.S. Per D.U. (sq. ft.) | Required Usable O.S. Per D.U. (sq. ft.)
300 | 150
(B) Usable open space shall not have an overall grade exceeding 10 percent and shall not be occupied by buildings, streets, driveways or parking areas, or any land proposed to be dedicated to the City as open space. The land provided must be determined by the appropriate decision maker to be functional usable open space which provides for reasonable use by the resident. Functional open space should include a minimum area of 100 square feet with a minimum dimension of 6 feet on one side. The usable open space may, however, be occupied by recreational facilities excluding buildings, including the following: swimming pools, golf courses, tennis, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, open handball courts, children's play areas and accompanying equipment, baseball diamonds, shuffleboard courts, croquet and lawn bowling facilities, walks and riding trails, picnic facilities and any other use which the Planning Commission may find, in accordance with Process Four, to be similar in character to the uses enumerated in this paragraph.
(“Town Center (TC)” added 3-27-2007 by O-19590 N.S.; effective 4-26-2007.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter15/Ch15Art03Division03.pdf#page=6Fetched: 10/28/2026