§131.0112 Descriptions of Use Categories and Subcategories
(a) The following are descriptions of each use category and subcategory found in the Use Regulations Tables of each base zone. These descriptions shall be used to classify specific uses into use subcategories for the purpose of determining applicable use regulations, in accordance with Section 131.0110. A description of separately regulated uses is located in Section 131.0112(b).
(1) Open Space Use Category
This category includes uses that may occur on land that has been identified for public recreational uses or to be left in a generally natural state. The open space subcategories are:
(A) Active Recreation — Public park facilities that require major land development for installation, require a high level of maintenance, and can accommodate large assemblages of people.
(B) Natural Resources Preservation — Undeveloped land left in a natural state for specific use as visual open space or environmental mitigation.
(C) Park Maintenance Facilities — Major structures or facilities used in conjunction with the maintenance of public parks.
(D) Passive Recreation — Recreational facilities associated with pastimes that are incidental to natural open space. These facilities require minor land development for installation, require minimum maintenance, do not attract large assemblages of people, and have little impact on natural open space.
(2) Agriculture Use Category
This category includes uses that involve the raising and harvesting of crops, the raising of animals, and the processing of plant and animal by-products. The agriculture subcategories are:
(A) Agricultural Processing — Uses related to the processing or preparation of crops, animals, or animal by-products grown or raised on the same premises for consumption or transportation to markets.
(B) Aquaculture Facilities — Uses that grow plants and animals in a water medium, either indoors or outdoors.
(C) Dairies — Uses related to the milking of livestock and processing milk for consumption or transportation to markets.
(D) Horticulture Nurseries and Greenhouses — Uses that propagate and grow plants in containers or in the ground and the associated sales of those plants.
(E) Raising and Harvesting of Crops — Uses that involve the planting, maintaining, and harvesting of crops for consumption or for commercial purposes.
(F) Raising, Maintaining, and Keeping of Animals — Uses that involve the feeding, housing, and maintenance of animals for private or commercial purposes.
(3) Residential Use Category
This category includes uses that provide living accommodations for one or more persons. The residential subcategories are:
(A) Rooming houses. Rooming house has the same meaning as in San Diego Municipal Code Section 113.0103.
(B) Mobilehome Parks — A premises with two or more mobilehomes used as dwelling units, other than an Accessory Dwelling Unit, Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, movable tiny house or employee housing.
(C) Multiple Dwelling Units — Dwelling units where more than one dwelling unit, other than an Accessory Dwelling Unit, Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, movable tiny house or employee housing, is located on a single lot.
(D) Single Dwelling Units — Dwelling units where no more than one dwelling unit is located on a lot, usually detached, and occupied by a single household unit.
(E) Shopkeeper unit — shopkeeper unit has the same meaning as in San Diego Municipal Code Section 113.0103.
(4) Institutional Use Category
This category includes uses that provide unique services that are of benefit to society as a whole. All of the uses in this use category are separately regulated uses. See Section 131.0112(b).
(5) Retail Sales Use Category
This category includes uses involving the sale, lease or rental of new or used goods to the general public. The retail sales subcategories are:
(A) Building Supplies and Equipment — Uses that provide goods to repair, maintain, or visually enhance a structure or premises.
(B) Consumer Goods, Furniture, Appliances, and Equipment — Uses that provide goods, large and small, functional and decorative, for use, entertainment, comfort, or aesthetics.
(C) Food, Beverages, and Groceries — Uses that provide food for consumption off of the premises.
(D) Pets and Pet Supplies — Uses that provide household pets and pet supplies for sale; grooming services.
(E) Sundries, Pharmaceuticals, and Convenience Sales — Uses that provide goods for personal grooming and for the day-to-day maintenance of personal health and well-being.
(F) Wearing Apparel and Accessories — Uses that provide goods to cover, protect, or visually enhance the human form.
(6) Commercial Services Use Category
This category includes uses that provide for consumer or business services, for the repair and maintenance of a wide variety of products, and for entertainment. The commercial services subcategories are:
(A) Building Services — Uses that provide maintenance and repair services for all structural and mechanical elements of structures, as well as the exterior spaces of a premises.
(B) Business Support — Uses that provide personnel services, printing, copying, and photographic services, or communication services.
(C) Eating and Drinking Establishments — Uses that prepare or serve food or beverages for consumption on or off the premises.
(D) Financial Institutions — Uses related to the exchange, lending, borrowing, and safe-keeping of money.
(E) Funeral and Morturary Services — Uses that provide services related to the death of a human.
(F) Instructional Studios - Uses that provide a place where skills including dance, art, and martial arts are taught to individuals or groups. Instructional studios also include recreation and physical fitness facilities that accommodate a maximum occupancy of 24 persons. Instructional studios do not include educational facilities.
(G) Maintenance and Repair - Uses that provide maintenance, cleaning and repair services for consumer goods.
(H) Off-Site Services - Uses that provide for deliveries of a wide variety of products and that provide services that are used at a location separate from the business providing the delivery or service.
(I) Personal Services - Uses that provide a variety of services associated with personal grooming and the maintenance of health and well-being. Personal services do not include recreation or physical fitness facilities.
(J) Radio and Television Studios - Uses that provide for the production, recording, and broadcasting of radio and television shows and motion pictures.
(K) Visitor Accommodations - Uses that provide lodging, or a combination of lodging, food, and entertainment, primarily to visitors and tourists. (Outside the Coastal Overlay Zone, includes SRO hotels.)
(L) Tasting rooms - Uses accessory to a beverage manufacturing plant that offer tastings and sell beverages manufactured on the premises for on-site or off-site consumption. The subcategory includes establishments such as breweries, wineries, and distilleries that offer tastings and sales of alcoholic beverages in accordance with a license issued by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. This subcategory does not include uses that qualify as retail tasting stores under Section 141.0508.
(7) Office Use Category
This category includes uses in an enclosed building that focus on business, government, professional, medical, or financial services. The offices subcategories are:
(A) Business and Professional — Uses related to earning a livelihood through a commercial or mercantile endeavor or through the practice of a vocation requiring specialized training or education.
(B) Government — Uses related to the administration of the regulations of local, state, or federal government.
(C) Medical, Dental, and Health Practitioner — Uses related to diagnosis and treatment of human illness and physical malfunction that can be performed in an office setting. Medical and dental laboratories are included in this subcategory, unless otherwise indicated.
(D) Regional and Corporate Headquarters — Uses related to the administration of large or geographically widespread businesses that may be located separately from the main activity of those businesses.
(8) Vehicle and Vehicular Equipment Sales and Services Use Category
This category includes uses that provide for the sale, rental, maintenance, or repair of new or used vehicles and equipment. The Vehicle and vehicular equipment sales and services subcategories are:
(A) Commercial Vehicle Repair and Maintenance — Uses that repair and maintain the mechanical components or the bodies of large trucks, mass transit vehicles, large construction or agricultural equipment, aircraft, or commercial boats.
(B) Commercial Vehicle Sales and Rentals — Uses that provide for the sale or rental of large trucks, mass transit vehicles, large construction or agricultural equipment, aircraft, or commercial boats.
(C) Personal Vehicle Repair and Maintenance — Uses that repair the mechanical components or the bodies of autos, small trucks or vans, motorcycles, motor homes, or recreational vehicles including recreational boats or that wash, clean, or otherwise protect the exterior and interior surfaces of these vehicles.
(D) Personal Vehicle Sales and Rentals — Uses that provide for the sale or rental of new or used autos, small trucks or vans, motorcycles, motor homes, or recreational vehicles including recreational boats.
(E) Vehicle Equipment and Supplies Sales and Rentals — Uses related to the sale, lease, or rental of new or used parts, tools, or supplies for the purpose of repairing or maintaining vehicles, including distribution of products from the same premises that sells, leases, or rents them.
(9) Distribution and Storage Use Category
This category includes uses that distribute and store goods. Long-term and short-term storage of commercial goods and personal items is included. The subcategories are:
(A) Equipment and Materials Storage Yards - Uses engaged in the outdoor storage of large equipment or products or large quantities of material.
(B) Moving and Storage Facilities - Uses engaged in the moving and storage of household or office furniture, personal items, appliances, and equipment.
(C) Distribution Facilities - Uses engaged in the commercial storage and distribution of goods.
(10) Industrial Use Category
This category includes uses that produce goods from extracted and raw materials or from recyclable or previously prepared materials, including the design, storage, and handling of these products and the materials from which they are produced. The subcategories are:
(A) Heavy Manufacturing - Uses that process, fabricate, assemble, or treat materials using large outdoor equipment such as cranes and large tanks to produce unpackaged bulk products such as steel, paper, lumber, fertilizer, and petrochemicals. This subcategory includes heavy manufacturing uses that typically produce disturbing noise, dust, or other pollutants capable of harming or annoying adjacent uses.
(B) Light Manufacturing - Uses that process, fabricate, assemble, treat, or package finished parts or products without the use of explosives or unrefined petroleum. This subcategory includes light manufacturing uses that produce a wide variety of products including, but not limited to, durable goods, machinery, equipment, or large food and beverage production facilities that do not meet the criteria for artisan food and beverage production pursuant to Section 141.1001.
(C) Marine Industry — Uses that produce, distribute, and store commercial marine vessels and equipment.
(D) Research and Development – Uses engaged in scientific research including computational modeling, bio-informatics, and testing leading to the development of new products and processes.
(E) Testing Labs – Uses engaged in health and safety testing of raw, processed, and manufactured products. This subcategory does not include laboratories that qualify under Medical, Dental & Health Practitioner or testing that qualifies under Research & Development.
(F) Trucking and Transportation Terminals – Uses engaged in the dispatching of large vehicles to collect or deliver goods or materials, or to transport people. Minor repair, maintenance, and storage of fleet vehicles used on the premises is also included.
(11) Signs Use Category
This category includes all structures that provide identification of businesses, products, services, or sites. The sign subcategory is: Allowable Signs — Structures that are placed on the ground, or on building facades or roofs, whose sign copy identifies a business, a premises, activities on a premises, or direction to a premises. See Section 142.1205.
(b) Separately regulated uses are uses that may or may not meet the description of a use subcategory but are listed separately from any subcategory because in some or all zones they are regulated differently from other uses. Each use category contains a list of separately regulated uses, some of which may meet the description of a use subcategory within the same or another category. The use regulations identified for the separately regulated use shall supersede the use regulations for the use subcategory that may match the particular use.
(Amended 6-12-2001 by O-18948 N.S.; effective 12-12-2001.)
(Amended 4-23-2008 by O-19739 N.S.; effective 5-23-2008.)
(Amended 8-4-2011 by O-20081 N.S.; effective 10-6-2011.)
(Amended 5-5-2015 by O-20481 N.S.; effective 6-4-2015.)
(Amended 10-15-2015 by O-20567 N.S.; effective 11-14-2015.)
(Amended 12-1-2016 by O-20752 N.S.; effective 12-31-2016.)
(Amended 2-22-2017 by O-20793 N.S.; effective 4-12-2017.)
(Amended 9-15-2017 by O-20857 N.S.; effective 10-15-2017.)
(Amended 10-17-2017 by O-20859 N.S.; effective 11-16-2017.)
(Amended 3-22-2018 by O-20917 N.S.; effective 4-21-2018.)
(Amended 8-9-2019 by O-21114 N.S.; effective 9-8-2019.)
(Amended 1-8-2020 by O-21164 N.S.; effective 2-9-2020.) (Amended 8-12-2020 by O-21223 N.S.; effective 10-8-2020.)
(Amended 10-30-2020 by O-21254 N.S.; effective 11-29-2020.)
