Business Permitting

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Step 1: Find Your Zoning District

Use the City's zoning maps to determine what zoning district your location is in. Commercial districts including C-1, C-2, and C-3 are shown in red on the zoning maps.

Many shopping centers in Pacifica are located in the C-1 Zoning District, including:

Sharp Park
Eureka Square Shopping Center
Linda Mar Shopping Center
Park Mall
Pacific Manor
Rockaway Beach

For the Fairmont Shopping Center, see the approved Master Use List for allowed uses. For any activity centers not listed above, please contact the Planning Division.

Step 2: Check if You're in the Coastal Zone

Most land west of Pacific Coast Highway is within the Coastal Zone, including the Sharp Park, Pacific Manor, and Rockaway Beach shopping centers. Businesses in the Coastal Zone may be subject to additional permit requirements, particularly for non-visitor-serving uses. If you are not sure if you are in the Coastal Zone, contact the Planning Division before signing any lease.

Step 3: Identify Your Land Use Category

Find the category below that best matches your business type. If you are unsure, contact the Planning Division.

Land Use	Examples
Retail	Drug stores, liquor stores, food markets
Retail Restaurant	Bakeries, delis, take-out restaurants (≤2,000 sq ft, primarily off-site consumption)
Restaurant	Full-service, dine-in establishments with table service
Fast Food Restaurant	Counter-service, pre-packaged food, quick-serve format
Personal Services	Professional offices, barber/beauty shops, shoe repair, laundries, dry cleaning, banks
Professional Offices	Accountants, dentists, chiropractors, attorneys, architects
Health/Fitness Club	Gyms, yoga, martial arts, cycling, personal training
Massage	Massage therapy businesses, chair massage
Art Galleries & Studios	Dance, arts and crafts instruction, craft production
Veterinary Clinics	Veterinary care for dogs, cats, and other small animals
Pet Care	Pet boarding, grooming, and related retail
Visitor-Serving Commercial	Hotels, motels, recreational equipment rentals, bait shops, and similar uses serving visitors (applies within the Coastal Zone)
Special Uses	Cannabis sales, firearm sales, and certain others have additional requirements — contact Planning Division

Step 4: Determine if Your Use is Permitted

Once you've identified your land use category, check whether it is a permitted use or a conditional use in your zoning district by looking up the allowances in the Zoning Ordinance.

Permitted use: Your business can be approved over the counter with a standard business license and zoning clearance.
Conditional use: Your business requires a Use Permit, which involves a public hearing and Planning Commission approval. Processing typically takes 12 weeks.
Not listed: Uses that are not listed are generally not permitted. Contact the Planning Division to confirm.

Common Uses and Requirements

The table below summarizes how some frequently requested business types are treated in Pacifica's commercial zoning districts.

Use	C-1	C-2	C-3
Retail	Permitted	Permitted	Conditional¹
Retail Restaurant	Permitted	Permitted	Conditional
Restaurant	Conditional	Permitted	Conditional
Fast Food Restaurant	Conditional	Permitted	Conditional
Personal Services	Permitted	Permitted	Conditional
Beauty Shops	Permitted	Permitted	Conditional
Professional Offices	Permitted	Permitted	Conditional
Health/Fitness Club	Conditional	Conditional	Conditional
Massage Establishment (small)²	Permitted	Conditional	Conditional
Massage Establishment (large)³	Conditional	Conditional	Conditional
Visitor-Serving Commercial⁴	Permitted	Permitted	Conditional

Notes:

¹ Retail sales in conjunction with any of the uses set forth in PMC Section 9-4.1201 are permitted
²Massage establishments under six hundred forty (640) square feet of treatment floor space
³Massage establishments with six hundred forty (640) square feet or larger of treatment floor space
⁴ Within the Coastal Zone only

For other uses, contact Planning or refer to the zoning ordinance.

Parking Requirements

The table below summarizes parking requirements for frequently requested business types. Parking is required if you are constructing a new building, constructing an addition to an existing building, or establishing a new type of business.

Use	Required Spaces
Retail	1 per 300 square feet
Retail Restaurant	1 per 300 square feet
Restaurant	1 per 50 square feet of customer area and1 per 200 square feet of other area
Fast Food Restaurant	1 per 50 square feet
Personal Services	1 per 300 square feet
Professional Offices	1 per 300 square feet
Health/Fitness Club	1 per 200 square feet
Massage Establishments	1 per 300 square feet

Notes:

Specific parking requirements are in Pacifica Municipal Code Title 9, Chapter 4, Article 28.
Development of new parking facilities may require inclusion of charging facilities for electric facilities. These requirements apply for new parking facilities with 10 or more parking spaces.

Outdoor Commercial Uses

If any part of your business will take place outdoors (such as seating at food service establishments, materials storage or sales of materials kept outdoors) a permit may be required. Please contact Planning staff for more information.

Home Occupations

If you would like to operate a small business from your home you may apply for a Home Occupation Permit when applying for your business license. Please review the following Home Occupation Permit requirements ahead of time to make sure your business is suitable for a home occupation.

Signage

If you plan to install a new freestanding or wall-mounted sign, approval of a building and/or sign permit will be required. Replacement of sign copy does not generally require City approval unless the sign copy area will be increased. Please review the City's Sign Ordinance for more information.