San Mateo City Zoning Code

The Regional/Community Commercial District is intended to create and maintain major commercial centers accommodating a broad range of office, retail, and personal services of community-wide or regional significance.

The following uses are permitted:

(a) Permitted uses in the C1 district;

(b) Art galleries;

(c) Automotive accessory stores, excluding on-site service and repair of vehicles;

(d) Boarding, lodging, or rooming houses;

(e) Catering services;

(f) Hotels and motels, including restaurant and meeting rooms;

(g) Laundries;

(h) Medical and dental clinics, including laboratories;

(i) Offices;

(j) Parking facilities;

(k) Printing, lithographing, or publishing establishments for newspaper, business cards, and other similar uses;

(l) Radio and television broadcasting stations;

(m) Reproduction services;

(n) Residential units, subject to R4 district "Minimum Development Standards" in Section 27.24.040 and affordable housing requirements as adopted by City Council resolution, except as otherwise specified in Chapter 27.29;

(o) Retail uses, including incidental rental and repair;

(p) Emergency Shelters ;

(q) Accessory uses to principle uses permitted; and

(r) Other compatible uses as determined by the zoning administrator.

The following uses may also be permitted, subject to approval of a special use permit:

(a) Special uses permitted in the residential and C1 districts, except increases in floor area ratios;

(b) Clubs, lodges, and fraternal organizations;

(c) Commercial recreation uses;

(d) Hospitals;

(e) Mortuaries;

(f) Public transportation facilities and terminals; and other similar uses;

(g) Recreational vehicle storage, subject to the provisions of Section 27.64.267 of this Title;

(h) Theaters, excluding drive-in theaters; and

(i) Other compatible uses as determined by the zoning administrator subject to the granting of a special permit.

All uses, except residences, shall be subject to the following conditions;

(a) Manufacturing, processing, or treatment of products which is clearly incidental and essential to the retail business may be conducted on the same premises;

(b) Uses shall not generate odor, dust, smoke, noise, vibration, toxic wastes or other emissions which constitute nuisances;

(c) Exterior signs shall pertain only to a use conducted within the building;

(d) Uses shall be conducted wholly within an enclosed building, except as authorized by special use permit, or as previously authorized, or if the use is legally non-conforming.

Automobile parking and loading facilities shall be provided as required or permitted in Chapter 27.64.

The maximum floor area ratio of buildings and structures on a zoning plot shall be as follows:

(a) In a C2-.5 district, the floor area ratio shall not exceed 0.5;

(b) In a C2-.62 district, the floor area ratio shall not exceed 0.62; except Fashion Island Shopping Mall property may have floor area ratios of 1.0 for office and hotel uses, and 2.0 for residential uses provided traffic generated from these uses does not exceed traffic generated from retail uses with a 0.62 floor area ratio. Covered parking for office use shall not be counted as floor area on the Fashion Island Shopping Mall site.

(c) In a C2-1 district, the floor area ratio shall not exceed 1.0;

(d) In a C2-2 district, the floor area ratio shall not exceed 2.0.

Building height shall not exceed the standards set forth on the Building Height Plan of the General Plan.

In the C2 Districts, the regulations governing buffers in the C1 districts shall apply.

The regulations governing setback and build-to-line standards for El Camino Real in the C1 districts shall apply.