Permitted Uses – Commercial Subdistricts
San Diego Municipal Code § 1513.0306
in effect§1513.0306 Permitted Uses – Commercial Subdistricts
No building or improvement or portion thereof shall be erected, constructed, converted, established, altered or enlarged, nor shall any lot or premises be used except for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) Primary Uses
(1) Those primary uses and density set forth in Section 1513.0303 (Permitted Uses) and Section 1513.0304(a) (Density Regulations) except that residential uses shall not be permitted within the first story of any building on any lot abutting Mission Boulevard; and for lots exclusively developed residentially, that development is subject to all regulations of the abutting residential subdistrict.
(2) Business Offices (not including hiring halls) provided, however, that business offices shall not be permitted within the first story of any building on any lot within the VC-N and VC-S Subdistricts and further provided that 50 percent of the ground floor area of the first story shall be reserved for those uses permitted in Section 1513.0306(a)(3).
(3) Retailing of consumer convenience goods and dispensing of consumer services from the following establishments provided, however, that no premises shall contain drive-in or drive-thru facilities:
(A) Apparel shops
(B) Art stores
(C) Bakeries
(D) Barber shops
(E) Beauty shops
(F) Bicycle shops
(G) Book stores
(H) Curtain and drapery shops
(I) Drug stores
(J) Dry cleaning and laundry establishments and agencies and self-service dry cleaning and laundry establishments
(K) Gyms, when equipped for physical fitness activities and athletic training programs
(L) Florists
(M) Food stores
(N) Hardware stores
(O) Hobby shops
(P) Jewelry stores
(Q) Liquor stores
(R) Nurseries – plants
(S) Paint and wallpaper stores
(T) Photographic studios
(U) Radio, television and home appliance repair shops
(V) Restaurants
(W) Shoe stores
(X) Shoe repair shops
(Y) Sporting goods including rental items
(Z) Stationers
(AA) Studios for teaching of art, dancing and music
(BB) Variety stores
(CC) Taverns and other similar places serving alcoholic beverages.
(4) Schools and studios for academic, cultural (including the fine arts), technical, vocational, or professional instruction.
(5) Motels and hotels in the VC Subdistrict only including:
(A) Housekeeping units -- guest rooms having separate access to the outside or to a hallway used in common with other guest rooms and having cooking facilities and used for combined living, dining and sleeping purposes.
(B) Related recreational facilities.
(C) Restaurants and bars with incidental entertainment and dancing.
(b) Accessory Uses
Accessory uses and buildings customarily incidental to any of the foregoing permitted uses, including the following:
(1) Private garages, parking areas and storage areas except access shall not be off Mission Boulevard.
(2) Recreational facilities intended only for the use of residents residing on the premises.
(3) On-premises signs as permitted by Section 1513.0404(b) Sign Regulations - Commercial Subdistricts – On Premise Signs.
(“Permitted Uses – Commercial Subdistricts” added 3-27-2007 by O-19589 N.S.; effective 4-26-2007.)
(Amended 10-18-2010 by O-19999 N.S.; effective 8-9-2012.)
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/Ch15Art13Division03.pdf#page=15Fetched: 10/28/2026