Chino Hills, CA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- Agriculture-Ranch (R-A)
- Minimum lot size
- 5 acres
- Max density
- 0.2 units per acre
- Permitted accessory uses
- Equestrian, agriculture, cattle grazing, stables
- Ag land tool
- Williamson Act contracts, Ch. 16.66
Summary
Chino Hills preserves large-lot agricultural land through its Agriculture-Ranch (R-A) zoning district. Municipal Code Section 16.10.010(B)(1) sets a five-acre minimum lot size and expressly permits equestrian facilities, agricultural uses, cattle grazing, and public or private stables as accessory uses alongside the primary residence.
Agriculture-Ranch (R-A). The agriculture-ranch (R-A) zone district provides for the preservation of large lot residential uses with related agricultural operations. The minimum lot size is five (5) acres, yielding a maximum density of 0.2 units per acre. In addition to the primary residential use, permitted accessory uses include equestrian facilities, agricultural uses, and cattle grazing. Both public and private stables and related uses are allowed as accessory uses. Minimum lot sizes in this zoning district may be increased depending on terrain, availability of services, or other factors; if modified, the minimum lot size shall be shown on the Zoning Map.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
10. 2 units per acre. In addition to the primary residence, the section permits equestrian facilities, agricultural uses, and cattle grazing as accessory uses, and allows both public and private stables. The City can require a larger minimum lot size than five acres depending on terrain, service availability, or other factors, in which case the modified minimum is shown directly on the Zoning Map rather than in the text of the Code. 66 governs Agricultural Preserves and Land Conservation Contract Actions under the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, the Williamson Act, letting a property owner apply to place land under a conservation contract that the City Council can cancel only after specific findings, including that cancellation is consistent with the Williamson Act's purposes and unlikely to force adjacent land out of agricultural use.
Together, the R-A zone and the Williamson Act contract process are the City's tools for keeping agricultural and ranch land viable inside city limits, rather than a separate nuisance-immunity right-to-farm statute of the kind some other jurisdictions adopt.
Violations & Fines
Developing or using R-A-zoned land beyond what Section 16.10.010(B)(1) permits, such as exceeding density without an approved smaller lot size or adding a use that is not residential, agricultural, equestrian, or grazing, requires a zone change, variance, or conditional use permit before the City will approve it; unauthorized construction is treated as a Development Code violation subject to the City's standard permit-denial and enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chino Hills have an agricultural zoning district?
What is the minimum lot size for agricultural use in Chino Hills?
Does Chino Hills have a right-to-farm law protecting agricultural operations from nuisance complaints?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California right to farm overview
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Agricultural Zoning Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle agricultural zoning protection.