“CM” COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURING ZONE.
LA Planning and Zoning Code § 12.17.1
in effectThe following regulations shall apply in the “CM” Commercial Manufacturing Zone:
A. Use – No building, structure or land shall be used and no building or structure shall be erected, structurally altered, enlarged or maintained, except for the following uses, and, when a “Supplemental Use District” is created by the provisions of Article 3 of this chapter for such uses as may be permitted therein:
1. Any use permitted in the C2 Zone, provided that these uses are conducted in full compliance with all of the regulations of the zone, except that these uses may be conducted as wholesale businesses without limitation on the floor area used for storage. Provided further that residential uses shall be permitted but shall be limited to shelters for the homeless, joint living and work quarters, and those uses permitted in the R3 Multiple Residential Zone, which R3 uses shall be in compliance with all the regulations of the R3 Zone, except that front yard setbacks are not required. (Amended by Ord. No. 181,133, Eff. 5/11/10.)
Provided further that the following uses are prohibited in the CM Zone:
(a) churches;
(b) child care facilities or nursery schools unless permitted by Section 12.22 A.3. or approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 12.24;
(c) fraternity or sorority houses or dormitories;
(d) hospitals or sanitariums unless approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 12.24;
(e) museums or libraries;
(f) schools or educational institutions unless approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 12.24;
(g) indoor swap meets, unless approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 12.24.
2. The following manufacturing and industrial establishments and uses, when conducted in accordance with the limitations hereinafter specified:
(a) Types of Uses:
(1) The manufacturing, assembling, compounding or treating of articles or merchandise from the following previously prepared materials: bone, canvas, cloth, felt, fur, glass, leather (except machine belting), paper, plastics, shell, textiles and yarn;
(2) Assembly of electrical appliances, electronic instruments and devices, and radios and phonographs, including the manufacture of small parts only, such as coils, condensers, transformers, crystal holders, and the like;
(3) Ceramic products manufacturing, provided that the total capacity of all kilns in any one establishment may not exceed eight cubic feet and that there shall be no pulverizing of clay;
(4) Scientific instrument and equipment manufacturing or precision machine shop.
(5) Addressograph service.
(6) Bakery or bakery goods distributor.
(7) Book bindery.
(8) Box lunch preparation or catering establishment.
(9) Candy, confectionery or ice cream manufacturing.
(10) Cosmetics, toiletries (except soap) or perfume manufacturing or blending.
(11) Jewelry manufacturing, including manufacturing of products from precious or semi-precious stones or metals.
(12) Laboratories, experimental, film, motion picture, research and testing.
(13) (Deleted by Ord. No. 172,106, Eff. 8/14/98.)
(14) Optical goods manufactur ing.
(15) Packaging business.
(16) Storage building or warehouse.
(b) Limitations:
(1) All activities other than incidental storage shall be conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building.
(2) The building shall be so constructed, the machinery and equipment shall be so installed and maintained, and the activity shall be so conducted, that all noise, vibration, dust, odor and all other objectionable factors, shall be so confined or reduced to the extent that no annoyance or injury will result to persons residing in the vicinity. Whenever there is any difficulty in determining the application of these provisions to any specific case, the Department of Building and Safety shall make such determination.
(3) No motor exceed one H.P. shall be used to operate any lathe, drill press, grinder, shaper, milling machine, saw, polisher or metal cutter; and
(4) No punch press exceeding five tons rated capacity nor drop hammer or automatic screw machine may be used.
3. Other uses similar to the above, as provided for in Section 12.21 A.2. of this Code.
4. (Amended by Ord. No. 162,335, Eff. 6/6/87.) Uses customarily incident to the above uses, and accessory buildings, when located on the same lot. Open storage of materials and equipment, including used materials and equipment, shall be permitted only when incidental to the use of an office, store or manufacturing building located on the front portion of the same lot, and provided that:
(a) Such storage is located on the rear one-half of the lot and is confined to an area of not to exceed three thousand (3,000) square feet;
(b) The storage area is completely enclosed by a solid wall or fence not less than six feet in height with necessary solid gates of the same height; and
(c) No material or equipment is stored to a height greater than that of the wall or fence enclosing the storage area.
The phrase “used materials and equipment” includes vehicles, boats, or airplanes which are inoperable, wrecked, damaged or unlicensed, i.e. not currently licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
5. Automobile parking space required for dwellings and for buildings other than dwellings, provided for in Section 12.21 A.4. of this Code.
B. Restriction. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) For any lot designated as Public, Quasi-Public, Public/Quasi-Public Use, Other Public, or Open Space on the land use map of the applicable community or district plan; any lot shown on the map as having existing lakes, waterways, reservoirs, debris basins, or similar facilities; any lot shown on the map as the location of a freeway right-of-way; and any property annexed to the City of Los Angeles where a plan amendment was not adopted as part of the annexation proceedings:
Any of the uses permitted by Subsection A. of this section shall require prior approval in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.24.1 of this Code.
C. Area – No building or structure nor the enlargement of any building or structure shall be erected or maintained unless the following yards, lot areas and loading spaces are provided and maintained in connection with such building, structure or enlargement.
1. Yards. (Amended by Ord. No. 144,365, Eff. 4/5/73, Operative 9/1/73.) Not required for buildings erected and used exclusively for commercial or industrial purposes.
For all portions of buildings erected and used for residential purposes, side yards and rear yards conforming to the requirements of the R4 Zone (Section 12.11 C.2. and 3.) shall be provided and maintained at the floor level of the first story used for residential purposes.
2. Lot Area. The lot area requirements of the “R3” Zone (Section 12.10 C.4.) shall apply to all portions of buildings erected and used for residential purposes. (Amended by Ord. No. 143,239, Eff. 5/7/72.)
3. Loading Spaces. Loading spaces shall be same as required by Subsection C.6. of Section 12.21 of this Code.
Exceptions to area regulations are provided for in Section 12.22 C.
4. Minimum Density. A minimum density of one Dwelling Unit or Guest Room, inclusive of Accessory Dwelling Units, for every 2,000 square feet of lot area is required for every Housing Development Project on lots meeting the minimum width and lot area requirements for the zone, prior to any subdivision, except when Section 12.22 C.28. applies. The minimum density calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest unit to ensure the minimum density standard is met. If the minimum lot area per Dwelling Unit or Guest Room for the zone does not allow for construction of the required minimum density, the minimum density shall not apply. (Added by Ord. No. 188,479, Eff. 2/11/25, Oper. 2/11/25.)
Source: amlegal_browserURL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sanfrancisco/latest/sfplanning/Fetched: 6/28/2026
Source: amlegal_browserURL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lapz/Fetched: 7/25/2026