The City of Westminster is undertaking a Citywide Zoning and General Plan Update to refine land use regulations, support future housing opportunities in appropriate locations, encourage reinvestment along major corridors, and preserve existing residential communities.

This effort updates long-range planning policies, zoning standards, and land use maps only. It does not approve any specific development projects and does not require property owners to redevelop.

Background

As part of the 2016 General Plan Update, the City of Westminster established mixed-use zones to encourage projects that combine housing, retail, services, and other uses. Since then, market conditions, housing needs, and redevelopment patterns have evolved.

In 2024, the City commissioned an economic study to evaluate how well the mixed-use zones were working and to identify ways to encourage reinvestment. The study found that the City could make its MU districts more effective by:

• Expanding MU boundaries to include additional properties;
• Increasing allowable housing densities;
• Creating incentives to make redevelopment more feasible; and
• Updating standards to improve transitions between neighborhoods.

In September 2024, the Mayor and City Council reviewed the study and directed staff to move forward with preparing zoning text amendments to implement these recommendations.

Links to the City Council staff report and the economic study are provided below for reference.

Project Overview

The following documents identify properties affected by the proposed Citywide Zoning and General Plan Update currently under consideration for adoption:

• Map of Proposed Land Use Designation Changes
  •  List of parcels proposed for General Plan Land Use map changes
• Map of Proposed Zoning Map Changes
  •  List of parcels proposed for Zoning Map changes

The project includes amendments to:

• The General Plan Land Use Element (text and maps);
• Title 17 of the Westminster Municipal Code (Zoning Code); and
• The City's Zoning Map.

Key elements of the update include:

• Consolidating the City’s existing mixed-use zoning districts into a single Mixed-Use (“MU”) zone with updated standards
• Increasing allowable residential density and building height in select mixed-use areas, depending on site size
• Expanding mixed-use designations to certain commercial and industrial properties along major corridors
• Preserving existing mobile home communities by designating them for residential use only
• Clarifying how Specific Plan areas are shown on City land use maps
• Amending Section 17.250.035 providing that Housing Overlay sites have to be developed with a minimum of 50 percent floor area for residential uses and providing for both owner-occupied and rental units being allowed

How Are Properties Affected?

A map showing all properties affected by the Citywide Zoning and General Plan Update is available here:

View Affected Properties Map

To make the proposed changes easier to understand, affected properties fall into one of four categories:

Category A – Increased Residential Density in Existing Mixed-Use Areas

Existing mixed-use areas where allowable residential density would increase to support future housing opportunities, while continuing to allow residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects.

Category B – Expanded Mixed-Use Areas

Select commercial and industrial properties proposed to be added to mixed-use areas, allowing residential uses, increased density, and additional building height, while continuing to permit a wide range of commercial and employment-generating uses.

Category C – Residential Preservation Areas (Mobile Home Communities)

Existing mobile home communities proposed to be redesignated for residential use only and rezoned to the R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential) zoning district to preserve housing and prevent future non-residential conversion. No displacement or redevelopment is approved as part of this update.

Category D – Specific Plan Areas

Properties governed by the Moran Street, Bolsa Row, and Westminster Mall Specific Plans. These areas would be labeled consistently as “Specific Plan (SP)” on City maps for clarity. No changes are proposed to the adopted Specific Plans or their development potential.

Project Fact Sheets

The City has prepared one-page informational fact sheets to help explain the proposed changes in plain language. These materials are intended for public outreach and are not regulatory documents. These fact sheets summarize the four categories of properties affected by the proposed update and are available for download below:

Public Review and Participation

The proposed updates will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council at the following public hearings:

Community members are encouraged to participate by submitting written comments or providing testimony at the hearings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Questions?

For questions about the project, please contact:

Stephanie Tomaino, AICP

Community Development Department

(714) 548-3495

stomaino@westminster-ca.gov