DATE: AUGUST 18, 2026
DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
FROM: LISA BRINTON, DIRECTOR
THROUGH: GRANT LEONARD, PLANNING MANAGER
BY: JONATHAN MOORE, SENIOR PLANNER
TITLE: ZONING CODE UPDATE PHASE 1 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTERS 17 (HOUSING) AND 37 (ZONING) OF THE SALINAS MUNICIPAL CODE TO ALIGN WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW AND ADDRESS SHORT TERM PRIORITIES RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to find the attached Ordinance exempt as a “common-sense” exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15061(b)(3); and adopt the Ordinance amending Chapter 17 Article IV of the Salinas Municipal Code (Housing) and amending various provisions of Chapter 37 of the Salinas Municipal Code (Zoning).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of Salinas’ Zoning Code had its last comprehensive update adopted in 2006 following the 2002 General Plan. As the City is in the process of completing a comprehensive General Plan Update (GPU) and adopted a new Housing Element in December of 2023, the City launched a multi-phase Zoning Code Update (ZCU) in 2025. This Phase 1 ordinance would amend Chapters 17 (Housing) and 37 (Zoning) of the Salinas Municipal Code for compliance with State housing law, the City’s Housing Element, other state and federal legal compliance requirements, and some priority items that do not need to wait for completion of the GPU. The Planning Commission approved a resolution on July 15, 2026, recommending adoption of the Phase 1 ordinance.
BACKGROUND:
The City launched a comprehensive General Plan update, Visión Salinas 2040, in the summer of 2021, adopted its 2023-2031 Housing Element (Housing Element) in December of 2023 to comply with statutory deadlines, and anticipates the release of the full draft General Plan in the summer of 2026. The City also started its comprehensive Zoning Code Update (ZCU) in 2025, to coincide with the completion of, and eventually to implement, the Visión Salinas 2040 General Plan Update. The ZCU is split into three phases to address immediate needs, ensure consistency with the General Plan Update once adopted, while ultimately developing a new code.
The Phase 1 Zoning Code Update Ordinance (Phase 1 ordinance) makes mandatory changes for compliance with state law prior to completion of the General Plan Update and addresses priority optional items that do not need to wait for the full overhaul. The draft Phase 1 ordinance is provided as Attachment 1. Programs 4, 6, 7, and 14 of the 2023-2031 Housing Element include actions that require amendments to the Salinas Municipal Code for compliance with changes in state law. Other legal compliance items include removing religious assembly restrictions on the ground floor of buildings in the Central City Overlay District, as other assembly uses are allowed, and adding regulations for food related home occupations permitted by state law.
Phase 1 also addresses two Zoning Code topics which are not related to legal compliance but are frequently cited by customers for causing frustrations. The first is the Minor Conditional Use Permit requirement for increasing driveway widths on single-family home properties, and the second is limits to accessory office space in industrial districts. Phase 1 proposes changes to increase flexibility for applicants in both instances with standards that still seek to enforce the intent of those sections. The City held two Planning Commission study sessions on Phase 1 amendments which give more background on these topics, linked below.
Link to Phase 1 study session on changes in State housing law – December 3,2025.
Link to Phase 1 study session on options amendments – May 20, 2026.
Phase 2 will include bridge amendments to make the current Zoning Code consistent with the General Plan Update, once the latter is adopted, and objective design standards for residential development. Completion of Phase 2 is anticipated by mid-2027, but exact timing will depend on adoption of the General Plan Update. Phase 3 is the completion of a new and revised Zoning Code. The new Zoning Code will be easier to use for the public and staff, visually rich with easily shareable graphics, and streamlined development processing that is consistent with community needs and vision. This also includes fully implementing relevant portions of the General Plan Update. Completion of Phase 3 is anticipated by the end of 2027. Both Phases 2 and 3 will include extensive public engagement and participation as outlined in the Planning Commission and City Council study sessions linked below.
Link to Study Session: 2025 Schedule, City Planning Documents Overview and Zoning Code Update Draft Public Engagement Plan, Planning Commission - October 1, 2025 Link to Zoning Code Update: Draft Public Engagement Plan, City Council - December, 2025 Zoning Code Update Phase 1 Draft Ordinance Summary:
The draft Phase 1 ordinance (Attachment 1) shows text or images being removed as struck through (example), and text or images being added as underlined (example). The draft ordinance only shows changes to the code and does not contain the full text of either chapter being amended (Chapter 17 and Chapter 37) of the Salinas Municipal Code. These chapters are linked below for reference when reviewing the draft ordinance:
Link to Chapter 17.-Housing, Article IV.-Reasonable Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities Link to Chapter 37.-Zoning
Phase 1 amendments to the Salinas Municipal Code made through the draft ordinance include the following:
Mandatory Housing Element implementation/state housing law compliance:
To Chapter 17.-Housing:
Amend Chapter 17 Article IV Reasonable Accommodation to create an objective process for persons with disabilities to seek modifications to housing regulations for equal access to housing to comply with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.
To Chapter 37.-Zoning:
Update definitions and add terms in Article I Division 2.
Amend the purpose statement, use classifications table, additional use regulations, design standards, and/or footnotes in the Agricultural, Residential, Commercial, Mixed Use, Industrial, Public/Semipublic, New Urbanism, (Article III Divisions 1-5, and 7-8).
Amend the supplemental regulations in Article V Division 1 regarding density bonus, employee housing, two-unit development, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and emergency shelters.
Remove garage/covered parking requirement for certain residential uses in Article V Division 2. This does not change overall number of spaces required.
Other mandatory legal compliance (Chapter 37 only):
Amend the purpose statement of Article IV, Division 5. Central City Overlay District and amended use classifications to remove ground floor restrictions of places of religious assembly facing Main Street to comply with the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Amend the supplemental regulations in Article V Division 1 to allow Cottage Food and Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations in home occupations as permitted in the California Retail Code through the California Homemade Food Act of 2013 (Assembly Bill 1616) and Assembly Bill 626 of 2018.
Optional priority items (Chapter 37 only):
Remove the requirement for a Minor Conditional Use Permit and add additional standards for driveway width increases for single-family homes in Article V Division 2.
Amend the allowed square footage for accessory offices in Article III Division 5.
Increase the time allowed for seasonal product sales (Christmas trees, pumpkins, etc.) under the Temporary Use of Land regulations in Article V Division 1.
Incorporate additional editorial and non-substantive wording updates.
July 15 Planning Commission Hearing:
On July 15, 2026, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Phase 1 ordinance (link to public hearing meeting materials). Staff introduced a proposed change on the time period of Christmas tree sales as a temporary use of land, which would increase the allowed duration from Thanksgiving Day and December 31, to November 1 and December 31, to reflect market trends for longer promotional periods around holidays. The Planning Commission was open to extending the allowed duration for Christmas tree sales and asked if for fairness the duration of pumpkin patches should also be extended. The Planning Commission discussed mirroring the regulations of the County of Monterey on Christmas tree sales if less restrictive than the proposed November 1 to December 31 duration. The Planning Commission did not propose other changes to the Phase 1 ordinance.
The Planning Commission voted 5-0 (with two members absent) to adopt Planning Commission Resolution 2026-007, recommending that City Council adopt the Phase 1 ordinance, with changes extending the time for Christmas tree sales mirroring the County of Monterey’s if applicable, and find it exempt from CEQA as a common-sense exemption.
Upon further research, staff determined that the County of Monterey did not have directly equivalent regulations on Christmas tree sales as a temporary use of land. Incorporated communities in the region varied between less and more restrictive durations for Christmas tree sales. The attached Phase 1 ordinance proposes extending the duration of Christmas tree sales and pumpkin patches to a period of no longer than sixty days. These and other limits on temporary uses of land may be discussed and adjusted in subsequent phases of the Zoning Code Update.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
The environmental impacts of the project have been analyzed in accordance with CEQA. The project has been determined to be exempt from CEQA under Section 15061(b)(3) as a common-sense exemption.
The proposed project consists of revisions to the Salinas Municipal Code Chapters 17 (Housing), and 37 (Zoning). The proposed revisions include amendments to ensure consistency with state housing law and implementation of the City’s Housing Element, as well as other legal requirements, and updates addressing local priorities. The proposed project does not include any site-specific designs or proposals to develop specific projects, nor does it grant any entitlements for any individual development projects.
The proposed revisions are regulatory and administrative in nature. As such, the proposed project would not, in and of itself, result in direct physical changes to the environment. The proposed project does not modify General Plan land use designation or increase base zoning densities. While certain proposed revisions address state housing law requirements (e.g., density bonuses, ADUs, and similar housing), these are established under state law and would apply regardless of implementation of the proposed project. The proposed revisions codify and implement these requirements within the Zoning Code and do not in themselves establish new development entitlements beyond those permitted under existing zoning and state law. Proposed Zoning Code revisions to driveway-width increases keep the maximum increase limit the same and add additional standards. Proposed revisions for accessory office use in Industrial Districts allow more flexibility within an industrial building but would not increase development intensity. Any future development that may occur pursuant to the updated regulations would be subject to separate review and approval processes, including environmental review under CEQA, as applicable.
Accordingly, the proposed project can be considered exempt from environmental review pursuant to the common-sense exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with reasonable certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed project would have a significant effect on the environment. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES:
No.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
Phase 1 of the Zoning Code Update advances the City Council’s Strategic Plan initiatives by streamlining residential entitlements, facilitating the addition of ADUs, exploring solutions to residential parking challenges, and supporting economic development by increasing flexibility.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
The Community Development Department is leading this effort with close coordination with the City Attorney, Public Works, and other departments as applicable.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
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ATTACHMENTS:
Phase 1 Zoning Code Update Draft Ordinance
Presentation
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CITY OF SALINAS
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT