Santa Clarita, CA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

The Unified Development Code carves out five Non-Urban (NU) zones specifically to preserve large-lot farming and ranching land on the city's rural fringe. 010 sets the most restrictive tier, NU1, at a maximum density of one dwelling unit per twenty acres, with agriculture, equestrian uses, private recreation and filming named as the companion uses. NU2 steps down to one unit per ten acres, NU3 to one unit per five acres, NU4 to one unit per two acres, and NU5 to one unit per acre, each section repeating that agriculture and equestrian use are allowed alongside the residential density.

NU4 and NU5 go further, permitting small "activity areas" of supportive commercial use, such as feed and tack stores serving rural residents, capped at five acres and required to sit at least one mile from any commercial land use designation, without needing a General Plan amendment. 010) governs where farming activity can actually operate: growing fruits, vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants for a resident's own use is permitted outright in every zone in the city, while growing the same crops for commercial retail or wholesale sale requires a conditional use permit in the NU1 through NU5 zones and in Urban Residential 1 and 2, is barred outright in Urban Residential 3 through 5, needs a minor use permit in the commercial zones, and is allowed by right only in the Business Park and Industrial zones.

Every NU-zone development standards table also carries a 35-foot cap on structure height without a Conditional Use Permit and a 20-foot front setback, so a barn or equipment shed built past those limits needs discretionary approval from the Planning Division even where the underlying farm use is by-right.