Development Regulations
San Diego Municipal Code § 156.0310
in effect§156.0310 Development Regulations
(a) Minimum Lot Size and Lot Coverage. Minimum lot size or lot coverage requirements of the Land Development Code shall not apply in the Centre City Planned District.
(b) Minimum Building Setbacks. The City Manager may require up to a 10-foot interior property line setback where a development is adjoining an existing residential development to maintain minimum provisions for light and air.
(c) Building Height. The overall height of a building shall be measured from the average of the highest and lowest grades of the site to the top of the parapet of the highest habitable floor. Uninhabited roof structures up to 30 feet high that conceal mechanical equipment and elevator and stair overruns are not included in the measurement of the building height if they do not project above a 45-degree plane inclined inward from the top of the parapet(s) of the nearest building wall(s). The maximum heights of buildings are illustrated in Figure F, with the following additional restrictions:
(1) Within the Little Italy Sun Access Overlay, building height shall not exceed 150 feet. A maximum building envelope height shall be further defined as follows and as illustrated in Figure N:
(A) On blocks north of Cedar Street, all street frontages shall be defined by a maximum 50-foot street wall. Above the 50-foot street wall, the maximum building envelope shall be defined by:
(i) a 45-degree angle up to a maximum height of 150 feet on the east and west frontages of a block facing onto a street; and
(ii) a 15-foot stepback above the 50-foot street wall on the north and south frontages of a block facing onto a street.
(B) On the blocks between Beech Street and Cedar Street, the maximum height shall be determined in accordance with Section 156.0310(d), with an additional maximum building envelope height defined by a 45-degree angle measured from a height of 50 feet along the northern property line of a block street frontage to a maximum height of 335 feet, measured 15 feet northerly of the southern property line of a block street frontage.
(C) Street walls along each side of a building may be a maximum height of 85 feet along a maximum of 40 percent of the building frontage to provide required Fire Department access. The building shall then stepback to comply with the building envelopes described in Sections 156.0310(c)(1)(A)-(B).
(2) For sites within the Park Sun Access Overlay, building heights shall be determined by Figure M.
(d) Building Bulk. Building bulk is divided into three main areas of the building: the building base, the mid-zone, and the tower. The mid-zone shall be applicable only in the areas within the Large Floorplate and Employment Overlay Districts, as illustrated in Figure C. The development standards for building bulk are summarized in Table 156-0310-A:
TABLE 156-0310-A: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Land Use Districts | Residential Emphasis (RE) | Neighborhood Mixed -Use Center (NC) | All other Land Use Districts | Employment (E) or Large Floorplate (LF) Overlays | Little Italy Sun Access Overlay (LISA) | Properties West of Kettner Boulevard
Building Height (feet from ground level)
Building Base/Street wall
Minimum | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 30/401 | 45
Maximum | 85 | 65/853 | 85 | 85 | 50/855 | 85
Mid-Zone
Maximum | N/A | N/A | N/A | 180 | N/A | N/A
Tower Maximum Height Per Figure F
Maximum Lot Coverage
Building Base | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
Mid-Zone | N/A | N/A | N/A | 80% | N/A | N/A
Tower | 50% | 50% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 50%
Tower Floor Plate Dimensions
North-South | 200 | 140 | 200 | 200 | 110 | 140
East-West | 130 | 130 | 130 | 150 | 110 | 130
Tower Setbacks
From Public Right-of-Way | 152 | 152/253 | 151 | 152 | 15 | 152
From Interior Property Line | 204 | 204 | 204 | 204 | 204 | 204
1 See Section 156.0310(d)(1)(D)(iii). 2 See Section 156.0310(d)(3)(D) for exemptions. 3 Applied along main streets with a general north-south orientation, see Section 156.0310(d)(1)(E)(iv) for exemptions. 4 See Section 156.0310(d)(3)(E) for exemptions. 5 See Section 156.0310(c)(1)(A) for sites located north of Cedar Street.
(1) Building Base
(A) Maximum Lot Coverage. The maximum lot coverage for the building base shall be 100 percent.
(B) Street Wall Frontage. A street wall containing habitable space shall be provided along 100 percent of the street frontage, with the following exceptions:
(i) Urban open space
(ii) Courtyard entrances up to 30 feet wide in residential development. Any security gating or fencing across a courtyard entrance shall be a minimum of 75 percent open to provide views into the courtyard;
(iii) Recessed pedestrian entrances a maximum of 25 feet wide and a maximum of 15 feet deep;
(iv) Preservation of existing trees;
(v) Patios and balconies up to 10 feet in depth and in front of habitable space may qualify as street wall shall be approved through the design review;
(vi) Portions of development sites associated with documented active faults or no-build easements may be exempted from the street wall requirements;
(vii) Side yard setbacks up to 5 feet in width may be approved through design review; or
(viii) When a transformer is required to be located behind the property line, an exception may be approved through design review.
(C) Street Wall Setback. The street wall shall be located within 5 feet of the property line adjoining any street (measured after any required public right-of-way dedication).
(D) Minimum Street Wall Height. The minimum height of the street wall shall be 45 feet in accordance with Table 156-0310-A with the following exceptions:
(i) For development involving a designated historical resource, a lower street wall height may be approved as part of the design review process. Street wall height and design will also be subject to the review and approval processes pertaining to historical resources contained within Chapters 11 through 14 of the Land Development Code.
(ii) For development in designated view corridor streets, the minimum street wall height may be lowered to 30 feet to comply with Table 156-0310-B.
(iii) Within the Little Italy neighborhood, the minimum street wall height may be reduced to 40 feet north of Beech Street and 30 feet north of Ivy Street.
(iv) In residential development, an exception to this minimum height may be approved for roof-top open space if the area is located over 30 feet above the sidewalk grade and measures no more than 50 feet along the street wall.
(E) Maximum Street Wall Height. The maximum height of the street wall shall be between 50 and 85 feet as specified in Table 156-0310-A, measured from the average grade of the adjoining sidewalk to the top of the parapet (may be calculated in 100-foot increments for sites with grades greater than 5 percent) subject to the following exceptions:
(i) For buildings with the highest habitable floor line at or below 75 feet, up to 50 percent of the street wall may be increased to 95 feet to accommodate taller top-floor units.
(ii) For buildings within the Large Floorplate or Employment Overlay Districts, the street wall may be extended up into the mid-zone without any building façade setbacks.
(iii) For buildings containing a tower, the street wall may be extended up into the tower without any building façade setbacks as provided in Section 156.0310(d)(3)(D).
(iv) For development within Neighborhood Mixed-Use Centers, a maximum street wall height of 65 feet applies along main streets with a north/south orientation. However, if the development does not have frontage on any other public street, the street wall height may be increased to 85 feet if determined necessary for Fire Department access.
(F) View Corridor Setbacks and Stepbacks.
Buildings shall be set back, or upper floors shall provide stepback, along those sections of view corridor streets designated in Figure G, in accordance with Table 156-0310-B. The setback or stepback shall be measured from the property line adjoining any public street (measured after any required public right-of-way dedication), or from any extensions of public right-of-way lines for streets.
(G) Sky-walks. Elevated pedestrian walkways or "skywalks," or gross floor area may not be constructed above, over, or within existing or designated view corridors unless compelling reasons exist to ensure safe pedestrian improvements and where no feasible alternatives for pedestrian access are available.
TABLE 156-0310-B: VIEW CORRIDOR STEPBACKS
STREET (refer to Figure G for applicable locations) | Required Stepback (Feet) | Stepback Elevation (Feet)
Laurel Street | 15 | 30
Juniper Street | 15 | 30
Ivy Street | 15 | 30
Hawthorne Street | 15 | 30
Grape Street | 15 | 30
Fir Street | 15 | 30
Date Street
– West of Pacific Hwy | 20 | Ground Level
– East of Pacific Hwy | 15 | 30
Cedar Street
– West of India Street | 15 | Ground Level
– India Street to First Avenue | 15 | 50
Beech Street
– West of Pacific Highway | 20 | Ground Level
– Pacific Highway to Kettner Boulevard | 15 | 30
– Kettner Boulevard to Sixth Avenue | 15 | 50
Ash
– West of Kettner Boulevard | 25 | 50
– Kettner Boulevard to Sixth Avenue (south side only) | 15 | 50
A Street | 25 | 50
B Street | 25 | 50
C Street | 25 | 50
Broadway
– Harbor Drive to Pacific Hwy (W ½ block) | 65 | Ground Level
– Harbor Drive to Pacific Hwy (E ½ block) | 55 | Ground Level
– Pacific Hwy to Kettner Boulevard | 40 | Ground Level
– Between Kettner Boulevard and Park Boulevard | 15 | Ground Level
E Street | 25 | 50
F Street | 25 | 50
G Street | 25 | 50
Pacific Highway | 25 | 45-130
Kettner Boulevard | 25 | 50
Park Boulevard (south of K Street) | 10 30 | 60 90
(2) Mid-Zone
Maximum lot coverage and maximum height of the mid-zone shall be in accordance with Table 156-0310-A, and may be provided only within the Large Floorplate or Employment Overlay Districts, subject to the following regulations:
(A) Maximum Lot Coverage. The maximum lot coverage for the mid-zone shall be 80 percent of the lot area.
(B) Maximum Height. The maximum height of the mid-zone of a building is 180 feet.
(3) Tower
(A) Maximum Lot Coverage. The maximum lot coverage of the tower of the building shall be 50 percent of the lot area, or a maximum 60 percent of lot area within the Large Floorplate or Employment Overlay Districts in accordance with Table 156-0310-A.
(B) Maximum Tower Dimensions. The maximum tower floor plate dimensions shall be as specified in Table 156-0310-
A. Dimensions of individual towers shall be measured from elevation drawings and regulate the maximum possible profile dimension for the tower, including floor area within oriel windows.
(C) Tower Separation. Within a single development, towers shall be separated by a minimum of 60 feet for sites of 50,000 square feet or more, or located west of Kettner Boulevard or in the Little Italy Sun Access Overlay District. For sites containing less than 50,000 square feet, except for those sites located west of Kettner Boulevard or in the Little Italy Sun Access Overlay District, towers shall be separated by a minimum of 40 feet.
(D) Tower Setback from Public Streets. Towers shall be set back from any property line adjoining a public street by a minimum of 15 feet, with the following exceptions:
(i) One side of any tower shall be exempt from this setback requirement, except within the Little Italy Sun Access Overlay District.
(ii) Two sides of a tower may be exempted from this setback requirement when it is determined through the design review process that the resulting design is improved and does not result in massing inconsistent with the neighborhood. This provision does not apply within the Little Italy Sun Access Overlay District.
(iii) In Neighborhood Mixed-Use Centers, the tower shall always be set back a minimum of 25 feet from any property line along a designated main street with a general north/south orientation.
(E) Tower Setback from Interior Property Lines. Towers shall avoid blank walls, allow glazing, and be set back from interior property lines adjoining another parcel by a minimum of 20 feet, subject to the following two exceptions:
(i) If the applicant can demonstrate that construction techniques permit glazing with views into, and out from, habitable areas within the tower, this setback may be reduced to 10 feet if any existing tower on an adjacent parcel is located a minimum of 40 feet from the proposed tower; or
(ii) If an existing tower on an adjoining parcel contains a blank, solid wall with less than a 20-foot setback from the common property line, then the proposed tower may reduce or eliminate its setback along that portion of the common property line that aligns with the tower on the adjoining parcel (creating a blank wall to blank wall condition).
(F) Upper Tower
The upper 20 percent of any tower (measured above the building base, or above the mid-zone for Employment Overlay and Large Floorplate Overlay Districts) shall achieve an articulated form and composition using architectural techniques as described in the Downtown Design Guidelines.
(e) Ground-floor Heights
The minimum ground-floor height for buildings, measured from the average grade of the adjoining public sidewalk, in increments of no more than 100 feet along a street frontage, to the finished elevation of the second floor, and for a depth of at least 15 feet, shall be the average of:
(1) 12 feet for buildings containing ground-floor residential uses;
(2) 15 feet for buildings containing ground-floor non-residential uses; and
(3) 20 feet for buildings containing ground-floor active commercial uses within the Neighborhood Mixed-Use Centers or along main streets, with the exception of the Little Italy Neighborhood Center, which may have a minimum 15-foot ground-floor height.
(f) Commercial Space Depth
The minimum depths of commercial, ground-floor spaces shall be:
(1) 25 feet along 75 percent of the commercial space frontage along a public street; or
(2) 40 feet along 75 percent of the commercial space frontage along main streets; and
(3) 15 feet along the remaining 25 percent of the commercial frontage if needed to accommodate other internal functions of the building.
(g) Residential Development Requirements
The following standards apply to residential developments that contain 50 or more dwelling units:
(1) Common Outdoor Open Space
Each development shall provide common outdoor open space either at grade, podium, or roof level. Common outdoor open space areas shall have a minimum dimension of 30 feet in each direction, or 40 feet between opposing building walls when bordered by three building walls exceeding a height of 15 feet, and may contain active and passive areas and a combination of hardscape and landscape features, but a minimum of 10 percent of the common outdoor open space must be planting area. All common outdoor open space must be accessible to all residents of the development through a common corridor. Development shall provide common outdoor open spaces as a percentage of the lot area in accordance with Table 156-0310-C.
TABLE 156-0310-C:
COMMON OUTDOOR OPEN SPACE
Lot Size | % Common Outdoor
Open Space
<10,000 sf | 10
10,001 – 30,000 sf | 15
>30,000 | 20
(2) Common Indoor Space. Each development shall provide at least one community room of at least 500 square feet for use by all residents of the development. The area should be located adjacent to, and be accessible from, common outdoor open space. This area may contain active or passive recreational facilities, meeting space, computer terminals, or other activity space, but must be accessible through a common corridor.
(3) Private Open Space. At least 50 percent of all dwelling units shall provide private open space on a balcony, patio, or roof terrace, with a minimum area of 40 square feet each and an average horizontal dimension of 6 feet in depth and width. Balconies should be proportionately distributed throughout the development in relationship to floor levels and sizes of units. Living unit developments are exempt from this requirement.
(4) Pet Open Space. Each development shall provide a minimum area of 100 square feet for every 200 dwelling units, or portion thereof, improved for use by pets and clearly marked for such exclusive use. Such areas shall include permeable surfaces, a hose bib, and be drained to the public sewer system (except for at-grade lawn areas).
(5) Commercial buildings that have been used for commercial uses for at least five years may be converted to a residential use without meeting the requirements listed in Section 156.0310(g)(1) through (4).
(h) Outdoor Activities Development Regulations
Temporary buildings and structures used in conjunction with outdoor activities are not required to comply with the requirements of Section 156.0310(a) through (g).
(i) Capital Improvement Program Projects
Structures for Capital Improvement Program Projects are not required to comply with the requirements of Sections 156.0310(a)-(g).
(j) Refuse, Organic Waste, and Recyclable Materials Storage
Development shall be subject to the Refuse, Organic Waste, and Recyclable Materials Storage Regulations in Sections 142.0805 through 142.0830, except that all storage areas shall be internal to the building and the minimum size requirements in Table 142-08B and Table 142-08C shall not apply. Recyclable materials and organic waste storage areas, shall, at a minimum, be equal in size to the area provided for refuse storage.
(Amended 9-7-2007 by O-19664 N.S; effective 10-7-2007.) (Amended 5-6-2010 by O-19947 N.S; effective 6-5-2010.) (Amended 12-7-2011 by O-20117 N.S.; effective 1-6-2012.) (Amended 5-16-2013 by O-20257 N.S.; effective 6-12-2013.) (Amended 5-15-2014 by O-20368 N.S.; effective 6-14-2014.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-19947 N. S., O-20117 N.S. and O-20368 N. S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies them as Local Coastal Program Amendments. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-20368-SO.pdf ]
(Amended 6-21-2019 by O-21084 N.S.; effective 8-8-2019.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-21084 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-21084-SO.pdf ] (Amended 8-9-2019 by O-21114 N.S.; effective 9-8-2019.) (Amended 8-12-2020 by O-21224 N.S.; effective 11-1-2020.) (Amended 2-1-2021 by O-21288 N.S.; effective 3-3-2021.) (Amended 1-27-2022 by O-21416 N.S.; effective 2-26-2022.) (Amended 3-7-2023 by O-21619 N.S.; effective 5-6-2023.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-21619 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-21619-SO.pdf ]
(Amended 7-22-2024 by O-21837 N.S.; effective 10-5-2024.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-21837 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-21837-SO.pdf ]
(Amended 6-15-2026 by O-22110 N.S.; effective 7-15-2026.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-22110 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-22110-SO.pdf ]
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/Ch15Art06Division03.pdf#page=47Fetched: 10/28/2026