Zoning › California › Alameda County › Emeryville

Emeryville, CA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 16 districts · 7 overlays · 5 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
use-type-index

Emeryville uses a standard Euclidean zoning system (Title 9, Chapter 3 enacted by Ord. 13-001, 2013). District codes are alphabetic/descriptive abbreviations: RM (Medium Density Residential), RMH (Medium-High Density Residential), RH (High Density Residential), MUR (Mixed Use with Residential), MURS (Mixed Use with Residential South), MUN (Mixed Use with Nonresidential), OT (Office/Technology), OT/DH (Office/Technology Doyle-Hollis North), INL (Light Industrial), INH (Heavy Industrial), P (Public), M (Marina), PO (Park/Open Space), SM (Shoreline Management), PUD (Planned Unit Development), UT (Utilities/Transportation). Height, FAR, and residential density are established by General Plan maps rather than per-district tables — districts control use types and special regulations. No form-based T-code structure; no primary PD-as-default pathway.

Worth knowing
  • FAR, height, and residential density are map-based, not district-based. Emeryville's General Plan maps (Figures 2-3, 2-4, 2-6) set the actual intensity limits per location, not per zone district. A single zone (e.g., MUR) may span multiple FAR/height/density map designations depending on location. The zoning code cross-references these maps per §§9-4.201, 9-4.202, 9-4.203.
  • Emeryville has NO minimum parking requirements for any use (§9-4.404(f)). Only ADA-compliant accessible parking is required. Maximum parking is 10% above estimated demand. This is a citywide policy across all zones.
  • Emeryville has no single-family residential zone. The lowest residential density is RM (Medium Density Residential), which allows multi-unit buildings. SB 9 therefore does not apply.

+ 3 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

spec 6res_mf 3mu 3off 2ind 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
RMMedium Density Residentialres_mf2,500 sf[4]—[5]——[6]—[7]—[8]5[1] / 3[2] / 15[3]
RMHMedium-High Density Residentialres_mf—[12]—[13]——[14]—[15]—[16]5[9] / 3[10] / 15[11]
RHHigh Density Residentialres_mf—[20]—[21]——[22]—[23]—[24]5[17] / 3[18] / 15[19]
MURMixed Use with Residentialmu—[28]—[29]——[30]—[31]—[32]—[25] / —[26] / —[27]
MURSMixed Use with Residential Southmu—[33]—[34]——[35]—[36]—[37]— / — / —
MUNMixed Use with Nonresidentialmu—[38]—[39]——[40]——[41]— / — / —
OTOffice/Technologyoff—[42]—[43]——[44]—2.4[45]— / — / —
OT/DHOffice/Technology Doyle-Hollis Northoff—[46]—[47]——[48]—2.4[49]— / — / —
INLLight Industrialind—[50]—[51]——[52]——[53]— / — / —
INHHeavy Industrialind—[54]—[55]——[56]——[57]— / — / —
PPublicspec——[58]——[59]——— / — / —
MMarinaspec——[60]——[61]——— / — / —
POPark/Open Spacespec——[62]——[63]——— / — / —
SMShoreline Managementspec—0 ft[64]————— / — / —
PUDPlanned Unit Developmentspec——[65]————— / — / —
UTUtilities/Transportationspec——[66]————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

NH
North Hollis Overlay Zone
COR
§9-3.402

All properties and public rights-of-way within the North Hollis overlay zone as shown on the zoning map.

design_programNorth Hollis Area Urban Design Program (including Design Guidelines), adopted by Resolution No. 02-52 on April 16, 2002, applies to all development proposals.
design_reviewAll development proposals subject to North Hollis Design Guidelines per §9-7.406, plus applicable Emeryville Design Guidelines per Chapter 7 Art. 4.
PA
Park Avenue District Overlay Zone
COR
§9-3.403

All properties and public rights-of-way in the Park Avenue District overlay zone as shown on the zoning map.

district_planPark Avenue District Plan (goals, policies, street standards, and development and design guidelines), adopted by Resolution No. 06-157 on August 15, 2006, applies to all development.
design_reviewAll development proposals subject to Park Avenue District Plan Design Guidelines per §9-7.406, plus applicable Emeryville Design Guidelines.
NR
Neighborhood Retail Overlay Zone
COR
§9-3.404

As mapped on the Emeryville Zoning Map to designate neighborhood commercial nodes within residential and mixed-use zones.

permitted_uses_criteriaPermitted uses must be: local-serving, ground-floor, ≤5,000 sf gross floor area, pedestrian-oriented with main entrance facing public sidewalk, no alcoholic beverage sales (except restaurants), no check cashing, hours 7am–11pm, at least 1 bicycle rack near entrance.
ground_floor_restrictionOffices, General not allowed on ground floor.
parking_exemptionLocal-serving uses ≤5,000 sf are exempt from off-street parking and loading requirements per Article 4 of Chapter 4.
RR
Regional Retail Overlay Zone
COR
§9-3.405

As mapped on the Emeryville Zoning Map to designate regional retail areas (primarily the Bay Street retail center area).

large_storesRetail, Large Stores may occupy 100% of the building area, provided they are regional-serving.
service_stationsMotor Vehicle Sales and Services, Service Station uses only allowed where RR zone combined with MUN zone.
design_reviewAll development subject to applicable Emeryville Design Guidelines including Regional Retail overlay provisions.
TH
Transit Hub Overlay Zone
TOD
§9-3.406

As mapped on the Emeryville Zoning Map to implement General Plan provisions applicable to Major Transit Hubs (Emery Go-Round / Amtrak area).

parking_reductionMaximum parking allowances reduced to 50% of the allowances set forth in Article 4 of Chapter 4 (per amendment Ord. 20-005, eff. May 21, 2020).
design_reviewAll development subject to applicable Emeryville Design Guidelines including Transit Hub provisions per Chapter 7 Art. 4.
PP
Pedestrian Priority Overlay Zone
SPEC
§9-3.407

As mapped on the Emeryville Zoning Map to designate areas with enhanced pedestrian environment requirements.

design_reviewAll development proposals subject to applicable Emeryville Design Guidelines including Pedestrian Priority zone provisions per Chapter 7 Art. 4.
FP
FEMA Floodplain Overlay
FP
§6.13

Areas of Special Flood Hazard as identified by FEMA on Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Emeryville. Present near the shoreline and Bay areas.

fema_firmCity participates in NFIP; FEMA FIRMs adopted for Emeryville. Flood control provisions in Title 6 Chapter 13.
development_restrictionDevelopment within SFHA requires compliance with applicable FEMA floodplain management requirements.

State preemptions

ca-density-bonus-lawapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide mandate (GC §65915). Applies to Emeryville (pop. 12,905, 2020 Census; Alameda County). City has MUR, MURS, RH, RMH, RM zones that accommodate multifamily housing. Density bonus applies to qualifying affordable projects in all residential and mixed-use zones citywide.
Source
California Government Code §65915
Effect
Up to 80% base density bonus (stackable with AB 1287 to 100%); reduced parking ratios; 1–4 development incentives/concessions depending on affordability tier. Supersedes local parking and density limits for qualifying projects.
ca-ab2097-parking-transitapplies
Qualifying condition
AB 2097 eliminates parking minimums for projects within 0.5 miles (2,640 ft) of a major transit stop. Emeryville is served by the Emery Go-Round shuttle hub and is within 0.5 miles of the Berkeley/Ashby area BART stations and the Amtrak/Capitol Corridor Emeryville station at Horton Street and Shellmound. The Emeryville Amtrak station qualifies as a major transit stop (intercity rail) per PRC §21064.3. Emeryville's code already has no parking minimums (§9-4.404(f) — no minimum required for any use), making AB 2097 largely redundant but technically applicable where the TH overlay zone reduces maximums.
Source
California PRC §21064.3; Emeryville Amtrak station at Horton/Shellmound confirmed as intercity rail stop; §9-4.404(f)
Effect
Parking minimums must remain zero for qualifying developments within 0.5 miles of Emeryville Amtrak station. Emeryville's existing code has no minimums; AB 2097 prevents any future reimposition within the transit proximity zone.
ca-sb423-streamlinedapplies
Qualifying condition
Emeryville's 6th Cycle Housing Element certified compliant (HCD review status: In, reviewed 2023-02-03). SB 35/423 tier: 50% (above-moderate RHNA 59.8% complete, lower-income 9.0% complete per hcd-ca-lookup.json sb35 data). Threshold: cities that have not issued sufficient above-moderate-income permits are subject to SB 423 streamlining at the ≥50% affordable threshold. Population 12,905 < 400,000 — qualifying.
Source
CA HCD SB 35/423 Determination; hcd-ca-lookup.json emeryville-ca sb423_tier=50%; 2023 APR data
Effect
Ministerial approval for multifamily projects with ≥50% affordable units in qualifying zones. Bypasses local discretionary review and CEQA. Prevailing wage applies for projects ≥10 units.
ca-ab2011-affordable-housing-high-roadapplies
Qualifying condition
Emeryville has MUN, MUR, OT zones along commercial corridors (Shellmound, Powell, Hollis, Adeline) that qualify as AB 2011 commercial corridors. Parcels in MUN zone along transit corridors are eligible for ministerial multifamily approval. Commercial zones present in Emeryville match the AB 2011 trigger (commercially-zoned parcels along corridors, eff. July 1, 2023).
Source
California Government Code §65912.100 et seq.; Emeryville MUN/OT zone presence verified via GIS (194 polygon features, zoning code §9-3.102)
Effect
Ministerial by-right approval for mixed-income or 100% affordable multifamily on qualifying commercially-zoned parcels along eligible corridors. Prevailing wage required.
ca-adu-jaduapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide mandate (GC §65852.2). Applies to all residential and mixed-use zones in California. Emeryville has residential zones (RM, RMH, RH) and mixed-use zones (MUR, MURS) that trigger ADU entitlement. All parcels in residential and mixed-use zones entitled to at least one ADU and one JADU by-right, overriding local restrictions.
Source
California Government Code §65852.2, §65852.22; Emeryville residential zones confirmed via §9-3.102(a)
Effect
ADUs up to 1,200 sf by-right in residential and mixed-use zones; JADUs up to 500 sf within existing structure. No parking required within 0.5 miles of transit (applies citywide given Emeryville transit network). Local restrictions on owner-occupancy, minimum lot size, and connection fees waived.
Non-applicable laws (3)
ca-sb9-home-actdoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
SB 9 applies to single-family-zoned parcels. Emeryville's zoning code (§9-3.102) establishes NO single-family (SF) residential zone — the lowest residential density district is RM (Medium Density Residential), which is a multifamily zone. SB 9 triggers on 'single-family residential zone' per GC §65852.21; Emeryville has none. Threshold: presence of SF-zoned land. Result: does not apply.
Source
California Government Code §65852.21; Emeryville Municipal Code §9-3.102(a) — base zones enumerated
Effect
SB 9 ministerial lot splits and second-unit conversions are inapplicable citywide due to absence of single-family zoning.
ca-builders-remedydoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Emeryville's 6th Cycle Housing Element certified compliant per HCD (compliance_status=In, reviewed_date=2023-02-03). Trigger: housing_element_status=non-certified. Result: Emeryville is certified — Builder's Remedy does not apply. Threshold: non-certified housing element. Source: hcd-ca-lookup.json emeryville-ca housing_element.compliance_status='In'.
Source
CA HCD Housing Element Compliance (6th Cycle); hcd-ca-lookup.json emeryville-ca entry, reviewed 2023-02-03
Effect
Builder's Remedy remains inactive for the current 6th cycle Housing Element period.
ca-sb10-local-upzoningdoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
SB 10 authorizes (but does not require) cities to upzone to 10 units per parcel near transit via simple resolution. No evidence Emeryville has adopted a local SB 10 resolution; not required by state law. Trigger: voluntary city council adoption. Result: not adopted, does not apply.
Source
California Government Code §65913.5 (no mandatory trigger; city adoption required)
Effect
None unless Emeryville City Council voluntarily adopts an SB 10 resolution in the future.

Adopted building codes

Statewide mandatory minimum

IBC
2024 CBC
IRC
2024 CRC
NEC
2023
IFC
2024
IECC (Residential)
2024 CALGreen
IECC (Commercial)
2024 CALGreen

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2013-03-07effective§9-3.102, Sec. 2 (Exh. A) (part), Ord. 13-001, eff. Mar. 7, 2013 — current zoning code enacted

Quirks & notes

  • FAR, height, and residential density are map-based, not district-based. Emeryville's General Plan maps (Figures 2-3, 2-4, 2-6) set the actual intensity limits per location, not per zone district. A single zone (e.g., MUR) may span multiple FAR/height/density map designations depending on location. The zoning code cross-references these maps per §§9-4.201, 9-4.202, 9-4.203.
  • Emeryville has NO minimum parking requirements for any use (§9-4.404(f)). Only ADA-compliant accessible parking is required. Maximum parking is 10% above estimated demand. This is a citywide policy across all zones.
  • Emeryville has no single-family residential zone. The lowest residential density is RM (Medium Density Residential), which allows multi-unit buildings. SB 9 therefore does not apply.
  • The OT/DH zone is designated for future public park use per Resolution No. 10-152 (2010). Existing uses as of November 12, 2009 are deemed conforming and may continue until the property is acquired or dedicated to the City for park use.
  • The eCode360 platform (ecode360.com/EM4426) is Cloudflare-protected and blocks scripted access. Content was retrieved via the Wayback Machine using captures of the prior codepublishing.com host (2022-05-17 capture for Ch. 9-3; 2022-10-18 capture for Ch. 9-4). The code text reflects Ord. 13-001 (2013) with subsequent amendments through Ord. 20-027 (2021) and Ord. 20-005 (2020).
  • The TH (Transit Hub) overlay zone reduces maximum parking to 50% of the allowances in Article 4 of Chapter 4 — note this reduces maximums, not minimums (there are none). This was amended by Ord. 20-005, eff. May 21, 2020.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Measured from average level of highest and lowest points of finished grade surrounding the building to the highest point of the roof, not including parapets. Height of stepped or terraced building is the maximum height of any segment. §9-4.202(b)(1)
density
Dwelling units per acre (net lot area in acres). §9-4.203(b)
far
Ratio of floor area of all principal buildings on a lot to the lot area (rounded to nearest tenth). Floor area does not include parking or loading areas. §9-4.201(b)
setback
Minimum horizontal distance between building face and lot line, as prescribed in Table 9-4.301(a). Setbacks vary by zone type and adjacency to residential zones.

Capacity calculations

note
FAR, height, and residential density are set by General Plan maps (not per-district tables). Base and bonus tiers apply per Tables 9-4.201(a), 9-4.202(a), 9-4.203(a). Height districts: 30, 30/55, 40/75, 50/100, 75/100+. FAR districts: 0.5/1.0, 1.0, 1.0/1.6, 1.5/3.0, 2.0/4.0, 3.0/6.0. Density districts: 20/35, 35/60, 50/100, 70/135, 85/170 du/ac. Bonus requires CUP with community benefit points.

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://ecode360.com/EM4426
retrieved 2026-06-02
Citations
  1. [1] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  2. [2] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  3. [3] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  4. [4] §9-4.701(a)
  5. [5] §9-4.202(a)
  6. [6] §9-4.201(a)
  7. [7] §9-4.203(a)
  8. [8] §9-4.404 Table 9-4.404
  9. [9] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  10. [10] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  11. [11] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  12. [12] §9-4.701(a)
  13. [13] §9-4.202(a)
  14. [14] §9-4.201(a)
  15. [15] §9-4.203(a)
  16. [16] §9-4.404
  17. [17] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  18. [18] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  19. [19] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  20. [20] §9-4.701(a)
  21. [21] §9-4.202(a)
  22. [22] §9-4.201(a)
  23. [23] §9-4.203(a)
  24. [24] §9-4.404
  25. [25] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  26. [26] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  27. [27] §9-4.301(a) Table 9-4.301(a)
  28. [28] §9-4.701(a)
  29. [29] §9-4.202(a)
  30. [30] §9-4.201(a)
  31. [31] §9-4.203(a)
  32. [32] §9-4.404
  33. [33] §9-4.701(a)
  34. [34] §9-4.202(a)
  35. [35] §9-4.201(a)
  36. [36] §9-4.203(a)
  37. [37] §9-4.404
  38. [38] §9-4.701(a)
  39. [39] §9-4.202(a)
  40. [40] §9-4.201(a)
  41. [41] §9-4.404
  42. [42] §9-4.701(a)
  43. [43] §9-4.202(a)
  44. [44] §9-4.201(a)
  45. [45] §9-4.404 Table 9-4.404
  46. [46] §9-4.701(a)
  47. [47] §9-4.202(a)
  48. [48] §9-4.201(a)
  49. [49] §9-4.404 Table 9-4.404
  50. [50] §9-4.701(a)
  51. [51] §9-4.202(a)
  52. [52] §9-4.201(a)
  53. [53] §9-4.404
  54. [54] §9-4.701(a)
  55. [55] §9-4.202(a)
  56. [56] §9-4.201(a)
  57. [57] §9-4.404
  58. [58] §9-4.202(a)
  59. [59] §9-4.201(a)
  60. [60] §9-4.202(a)
  61. [61] §9-4.201(a)
  62. [62] §9-4.202(a)
  63. [63] §9-4.201(a)
  64. [64] §9-3.309
  65. [65] §9-3.310
  66. [66] §9-4.202(a)

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedsource.primary_url = https://ecode360.com/EM4426 (ecode360 canonical host, not an aggregator)
no aggregator citedpassedscan clean — no zoneomics, steadily, siteplanguide, propwire, zonara, unzoned domains referenced
confidence tags full formpassedall confirmed fields carry §-citations; partial fields carry p§-citations with paired notes
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed7 overlays each have non-empty params, trigger, and confidence; FP overlay is partial with what_is_confirmed/what_is_missing documented in note
preempt section city specificpassed8 CA preemption laws evaluated with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked including numeric inputs (pop. 12,905), HCD data vintage (2023-02-03), and thresholds (SB 9: no SF zone; SB 423: 50% tier per hcd-ca-lookup; Builder's Remedy: certified HE)

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