SJMC Title 20 establishes the A (Agriculture) zone for limited farming and ranching, concentrated in Coyote Valley and parts of Almaden. Urban-agriculture provisions allow community gardens and limited produce sales citywide.
SJMC Title 20 sets the A (Agriculture) zoning district for one-family dwellings combined with farming, orchards, and limited livestock subject to setback and acreage rules. Most of San Jose's remaining agricultural land lies within the Coyote Valley Urban Reserve and pockets of Almaden Valley. The city's General Plan and the Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan reinforce ag-and-open-space designations. Urban agriculture is also allowed citywide: community gardens are by-right in most residential zones, and California AB-551 urban-ag incentive zones can reduce property tax for parcels under five acres dedicated to farming for at least five years.
Operating a farm use outside permitted zones triggers SJMC Title 20 zoning enforcement: notice to abate, civil fines up to $2,500 per day, and code-enforcement liens. Unpermitted produce-stand structures face building-permit penalties under Title 17.
See how San Jose's agricultural zoning protection rules stack up against other locations.
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