Zoning › California › Riverside County › Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley, CA Zoning

14 districts. 3 overlays. 6 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Worth knowing
  • March Air Reserve Base (MARB) AICUZ: Moreno Valley is 2–4 mi from MARB runways. Northern and western portions of the city are subject to APZ height/density/use limits (typically 35 ft in APZ-1, 75 ft in APZ-2) implemented through the Riverside County ALUC Compatibility Plan. This is a federal overlay, not a state preemption.
  • San Jacinto River Floodplain: Substantial acreage along the San Jacinto River corridor and local drainage basins is in FEMA SFHA (Zones A / AE). Title 9 floodplain controls require BFE + 1 ft freeboard. Parcels in SFHA are per-parcel excluded from SB 9.
  • World Logistics Center Specific Plan: Very large east-side industrial Specific Plan area (~40M sf entitlement) with site-specific standards that replace base zoning. PD/SP-governed rather than IL/GI base.

+ 5 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_mf 3com 3res_sf 2ind 2spec 2mu 1off 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Family Residential — Low Densityres_sf7,500 sf[4]32 ft[5]0.4[6]—5[7]2[8]20[1] / 5[2] / 15[3]
R-2Single-Family Residential — Medium Densityres_sf4,000 sf[12]35 ft[13]0.5[14]—10[15]1.5[16]17[9] / 5[10] / 18[11]
R-3Multifamily Residential — Low Densityres_mf3,750 sf[20]50 ft[21]0.6[22]1[23]20[24]1[25]15[17] / 7[18] / 18[19]
R-4Multifamily Residential — Medium Densityres_mf2,500 sf[29]60 ft[30]0.7[31]1.5[32]32[33]0.75[34]12[26] / 7[27] / 18[28]
R-5Multifamily Residential — High Densityres_mf1,500 sf[38]70 ft[39]0.8[40]2[41]50[42]0.5[43]5[35] / 2[36] / 12[37]
C-1Neighborhood Commercialcom—42 ft[45]0.75[46]1.75[47]——12[44] / — / —
C-2Community Commercialcom—55 ft[49]0.8[50]2[51]——12[48] / — / —
C-3Regional Commercialcom—70 ft[53]0.85[54]2.5[55]——5[52] / — / —
MUMixed-Use Commercialmu—75 ft[57]0.85[58]2.75[59]——5[56] / — / —
BPBusiness Park / Officeoff—50 ft[61]0.65[62]1.75[63]——17[60] / — / —
ILLight Industrialind7,500 sf[64]50 ft[65]————— / — / —
GIGeneral Industrialind10,000 sf[66]62 ft[67]————— / — / —
PDPlanned Development (base)spec——————— / — / —
SPSpecific Plan Areaspec——————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

APZ
Airport Hazard / AICUZ Overlay (March Air Reserve Base)
AP
Title 9 airport-compatibility provisions implementing Riverside County ALUC compatibility plan + MARB AICUZ

Parcels within March Air Reserve Base (MARB) AICUZ safety zones (APZ-1 / APZ-2) and Part 77 imaginary surfaces. Northern and western Moreno Valley within 2–4 mi of MARB runway alignment is most affected. Riverside County ALUC compatibility plan implements federal AICUZ mapping at the local level.

height_limit_apz1_ft35
height_limit_apz2_ft75
residential_density_limit_apz1_du_ac4
incompatible_uses_apz1schools, hospitals, day-care, places of assembly with high population density prohibited
noise_disclosure_required1
FP
Floodplain Management (FEMA SFHA)
FP
Title 9 floodplain-management provisions (CA NFIP-compliant)

Parcels mapped within FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zones A, AE) along the San Jacinto River corridor and local drainage basins per current Moreno Valley FIRM panels. Significant acreage in northern/eastern portions of the city falls within SFHA.

base_flood_elevation_compliancerequired
lowest_floor_elevation_above_bfe_ft1[68]
substantial_improvement_threshold_pct50[69]
encroachments_in_floodwayprohibited without no-rise certification
PD/SP
Planned Community / Specific Plan Overlay
PD
Title 9 planned-development and specific-plan provisions

Parcels within adopted Planned Developments or Specific Plan areas (multiple active in Moreno Valley, including older master-planned communities and corridor / industrial specific plans). Boundaries defined by each individual PD / SP ordinance and zoning map.

site_specific_standardscustom density, height, setbacks, FAR, use mix negotiated per project ordinance
replaces_base_standards1
ccr_hoa_structuretypical in residential PDs

State preemptions

CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
All CA cities. Moreno Valley's R-1/R-2/R-3/R-4/R-5 and mixed-use districts must permit ADUs and JADUs by-right per state law. Per AB 1886 / AB 1893 (2024), cities cannot require minimum lot size for ADUs, cannot impose owner-occupancy (through 2025 sunset), and cannot require a replacement parking space for demolished garage conversions. | title=Accessory Dwelling Units / JADUs ; effect_on_city=Overrides any Title 9 provision that would prohibit ADUs or JADUs on residential parcels. One ADU + one JADU per single-family lot; additional ADUs permitted on multifamily lots per statute.
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
Moreno Valley has substantial R-1 SF-zoned acreage. SB 9 applies per-parcel conditional on: parcel not in a historic district; not in a Cal Fire Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (portions of Moreno Valley foothill areas may be in a VHFHSZ — per-parcel check required against Cal Fire FHSZ map); not in FEMA SFHA (San Jacinto River corridor parcels excluded on a per-parcel basis). Moreno Valley is inland — coastal-zone exclusion N/A. | title=SB 9 — HOME Act (Lot Splits + Duplex Conversion) ; effect_on_city=Ministerial up-to-4 units on qualifying R-1 parcels via lot split + duplex on each resulting lot. City cannot require lot size >40% of original, setback >4 ft side/rear, or FAR <0.8 on resulting lots. ; per_parcel_conditional=True ; exclusions=['FEMA SFHA (per-parcel — San Jacinto corridor and local flood zones)', 'Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (per-parcel — foothill areas may trigger)', 'historic districts (per-parcel if any locally designated)', 'coastal zone (N/A — inland city)']
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Applies to any Moreno Valley project meeting affordability thresholds (5% VLI, 10% LI, 10% moderate for-sale, or 100% affordable). Applies in R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, MU, and commercial sites that permit residential. | title=State Density Bonus Law ; effect_on_city=Up to 80% density bonus on qualifying residential / mixed-use sites. Reduced parking per §65915(p) (0.5 studios/1-BR; 1.0 for 2–3 BR; 1.5 for 4+ BR on affordable component). 1–4 incentives/concessions depending on affordability tier.
CA-AB2097applies
Qualifying condition
Moreno Valley is served by the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) local/intercity bus network plus the RapidLink Gold Line BRT. To trigger AB 2097, a stop must be a 'major transit stop' per PRC §21064.3 (rail station, BRT, ferry terminal, or intersection of two bus routes with 15-min peak headway). RapidLink Gold Line BRT corridor (Moreno Valley ↔ UCR / Downtown Riverside) does qualify; specific qualifying stop inventory along Alessandro Blvd / Frederick / Heacock corridors needs live verification against RTA's current frequent-service map. | title=AB 2097 — Parking Mandate Elimination Near Transit ; qualifying_condition_checked_result=likely_applies_on_corridors ; effect_on_city=Within ½ mi of qualifying major transit stops (RapidLink Gold Line BRT stations and any 15-min-headway bus-route intersections), no minimum parking may be required for residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects. ; search_performed=RTA RapidLink Gold Line BRT service confirmed in general knowledge; specific station-by-station qualification and 15-min-headway bus-route intersections not verified live this pass.
Retrieval issue
RTA's current frequent-service map / GTFS feed not fetched this pass; eCode360 blocks scripted retrieval of any Title 9 parking-exemption language that may codify AB 2097.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
Per HCD SB 35/423 determination data (5th-cycle evaluation): Moreno Valley has total RHNA 6,169; 2,696 permits; lower-income 4.1% complete; above-moderate 71.1% complete; exempt_flag=No; 10pct_flag=Yes; 50pct_flag=No. Tier: 10%. Most recent APR status: Successful. SB 423 / SB 35 streamlined ministerial approval applies to qualifying projects with ≥10% affordable. | title=SB 423 — Streamlined Ministerial Multifamily Approval (extends SB 35) ; effect_on_city=Ministerial by-right approval for multifamily projects with ≥10% affordable on residential or mixed-use sites (and on AB 2011 qualifying commercial corridor sites). Prevailing wage / skilled-and-trained workforce applies for ≥10-unit projects. ; tier=10% ; source_url=https://data.ca.gov/dataset/sb-35-data ; source_type=primary_dataset ; source_accessed=2026-04-19 ; evidence=Subject to SB 35/423 streamlined ministerial approval for qualifying projects ≥10% affordable ; hcd_data={'sb35_determination': {'jurisdiction': 'MORENO VALLEY', 'county': 'RIVERSIDE', 'planning_period_evaluated': 'Full 5th', 'rhna_total': '6,169', 'total_permits': '2,696', 'lower_pct_complete': '4.1%', 'above_mod_pct_complete': '71.1%', 'exempt_flag': 'No', '10pct_flag': 'Yes', '50pct_flag': 'No', 'tier': '10%', 'most_recent_apr_status': 'Successful'}}
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
Moreno Valley has qualifying commercial corridors (e.g., Alessandro Blvd, Sunnymead Blvd, Perris Blvd, Moreno Beach Dr) with C-1 / C-2 / C-3 zoning and multi-lane ROW consistent with AB 2011's 'commercial corridor' definition. 100% affordable projects by-right on any commercial site; mixed-income by-right on corridor sites meeting width/location criteria. | title=AB 2011 — Affordable Housing on Commercial Corridors ; effect_on_city=Ministerial approval for qualifying multifamily on C-1 / C-2 / C-3 / MU corridor sites; 100% affordable bypasses discretionary review. Prevailing wage applies.
Non-applicable laws (2)
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)applies
Qualifying condition
Per HCD Housing Element Compliance data: Moreno Valley 6th-cycle (6L) Housing Element adopted 2022-10-11, review_status=In, compliance_status=In. Housing element is certified compliant — Builder's Remedy is dormant. | title=Builder's Remedy ; effect_on_city=None while Housing Element remains HCD-certified compliant. If certification lapses in a future cycle without a timely update, projects with ≥20% LI or 100% moderate-income could bypass local zoning (height, density, FAR, use) per GC §65589.5(d)(5). ; builders_remedy_subject=False ; source_url=https://data.ca.gov/dataset/housing-element-compliance-report ; source_type=primary_dataset ; source_accessed=2026-04-19 ; evidence=Housing element certified compliant — not subject ; hcd_data={'housing_element': {'jurisdiction': 'MORENO VALLEY', 'county': 'Riverside', 'planning_period': '6L', 'record_type': 'Adopted', 'review_status': 'In', 'reviewed_date': '2022-10-11 00:00:00.0000000', 'compliance_status': 'In', 'cycle': '6th Cycle'}}
CA-SB10under_review
Qualifying condition
SB 10 is permissive — it authorizes but does not require cities to zone up to 10 units/parcel near transit. It only 'applies' if Moreno Valley has adopted an SB 10 resolution. No such resolution was identified in the research pass. | title=SB 10 — Local Upzoning Authorization ; effect_on_city=None unless/until Moreno Valley adopts an SB 10 resolution.

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.

Quirks & notes

  • March Air Reserve Base (MARB) AICUZ: Moreno Valley is 2–4 mi from MARB runways. Northern and western portions of the city are subject to APZ height/density/use limits (typically 35 ft in APZ-1, 75 ft in APZ-2) implemented through the Riverside County ALUC Compatibility Plan. This is a federal overlay, not a state preemption.
  • San Jacinto River Floodplain: Substantial acreage along the San Jacinto River corridor and local drainage basins is in FEMA SFHA (Zones A / AE). Title 9 floodplain controls require BFE + 1 ft freeboard. Parcels in SFHA are per-parcel excluded from SB 9.
  • World Logistics Center Specific Plan: Very large east-side industrial Specific Plan area (~40M sf entitlement) with site-specific standards that replace base zoning. PD/SP-governed rather than IL/GI base.
  • RTA RapidLink Gold Line BRT: Moreno Valley ↔ UCR / Downtown Riverside corridor provides AB 2097 eligibility for parcels within 0.5 mi of qualifying BRT stations. Local RTA fixed-route bus coverage may provide additional AB 2097 eligibility where two routes intersect with 15-min peak headway.
  • Planned Community / Specific Plan layering: Multiple active PDs / SPs in the city (older master-planned residential communities and corridor / industrial plans). PD / SP ordinance supersedes Title 9 base district standards per project.
  • Inland Empire suburban pattern: Clear R / C / M separation; mixed-use only in MU / SP or via AB 2011 corridor streamlining. No form-based code in effect city-wide.
  • Lot-size variability across R-1 sub-zones: Residential R-1 encompasses multiple minimum lot sizes (commonly 5,000 sf / 7,500 sf / 10,000 sf tiers); specific ranges per Title 9 table not re-fetched live this pass.
  • Moreno Valley sits in Riverside County; Riverside County ALUC adopts compatibility plans for MARB, Flabob, and other public-use airports — ALUC findings apply at the local entitlement level.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Measured to highest point of roof, excluding antennas and parapets (Title 9 definitions).
lot_coverage
Building footprint / net lot area.
far
Gross floor area (conditioned space, excluding structured parking) / net lot area after public dedications.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre; confirm net vs. gross per Title 9 definitions.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Minimum spaces per dwelling unit unless noted; reduced to 0 within 0.5 mi of major transit per AB 2097.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10
max_height_in_aicuz_severe
35 ft — March Air Reserve Base AICUZ APZ-1 federal-overlay height limit supersedes base district where applicable

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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Max height
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

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Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedcode_source = https://ecode360.com/MO4973 (eCode360 canonical for Moreno Valley Title 9); not an aggregator domain; referenced by city planning department.
no aggregator citedpassedRecord scan found no Zoneomics / Steadily / SitePlanGuide / SitePlanCreator / Propwire / Zonara / Unzoned references. All citations are to Title 9, CA Government Code, HCD primary datasets, or Riverside County ALUC / FEMA federal overlays.
confidence tags full formpassedAll confirmed values carry status + citation objects (GC §, HCD primary-dataset, or c§ form). Partial and inferred values carry explicit status='p'/'i' tags and notes. No bare [confirmed] tags.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed3/3 overlays (APZ, FP, PD/SP) have non-empty parameters object, geographic_trigger string, status, and citation. AICUZ overlay parameters explicitly marked partial with retrieval_failure_reason.
preempt section city specificpassedstate_preemptions_applicable[] contains 8 per-law entries (ADU, SB 9, Density Bonus, AB 2097, SB 423, AB 2011, Builder's Remedy, SB 10), each with a city-specific qualifying_condition_checked narrative (not link-stubs). HCD primary-dataset evidence included for SB 423 and Builder's Remedy. federal_overlay_refs separately captures MARB AICUZ + FEMA NFIP per FM-P.

Data quality

55%completeness7 confirmed12 partial32 inferred4 not found
Documented gaps
  • eCode360 returns 403 to scripted WebFetch — live section-by-section re-verification of Title 9 district tables was not possible this pass; residential/commercial/industrial dimensional standards remain inferred from typical Inland Empire patterns.
  • Title 9 specific section numbering (§9.xxx) for base districts, overlays, definitions, parking, and floodplain provisions unconfirmed live.
  • Lot coverage and FAR values inferred from typical patterns; Title 9 table values not fetched.
  • Active PD / Specific Plan inventory (World Logistics Center SP, Moreno Valley Ranch, corridor plans) not enumerated with ordinance numbers and effective dates this pass.
  • MARB AICUZ APZ boundaries and ALUC compatibility-plan dimensional limits not re-fetched from Riverside County ALUC this pass; values shown are per-plan-type typicals.
  • AB 2097 major-transit-stop inventory (specific RapidLink Gold Line BRT stations + qualifying 15-min-headway bus-route intersections) not verified live against current RTA service map.
  • Parking baseline (pre-AB 2097) — specific Title 9 parking-schedule values not fetched; the 'parking' values in the district table are typical inferred minimums.

Known issues

cohort:needs-dom-retrievalfreshness:volatileblocker:ecode360data:gaps-present

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