Monterey, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

" Grooming and temporary boarding of up to 30 days are allowed only if incidental to the hospital use; a veterinarian who also runs a full boarding kennel triggers the separate, more closely reviewed Animal Boarding classification instead. Where a veterinary clinic may open depends entirely on the zoning district. The C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District's land use table under § 38-28 does not list Animal Hospitals at all, and because the ordinance states that an unlisted use classification is prohibited, a veterinary clinic cannot locate in a C-1 zone.

In the C-2 Community Commercial District, § 38-29 lists Animal Hospitals as a "U" use, meaning it is allowed only after the Planning Commission approves a discretionary use permit; the same district requires a use permit for Animal Boarding too, while Animal Grooming alone is permitted outright. Only in the C-3 General Commercial District, under § 38-30, is an Animal Hospital listed as a "P," or permitted, use needing no discretionary review. Wherever it is allowed, an Animal Hospital must meet the district's off-street parking standard of one space per 500 square feet of floor area.

A use permit application in a C-2 zone is decided by the Planning Commission after a noticed public hearing and can carry conditions on noise, odor, and hours of operation, consistent with the enclosed and soundproofed design the definition itself requires.