Beaumont, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Wall plane modulation
- Two-foot projection or recess per 50 horizontal feet of wall
- Minimum ground floor height
- 11 feet floor to ceiling (non-residential)
- Street-facing transparency
- 50 percent of wall area, reducible to 40 percent
- Longest blank plane
- 30 feet without an opening
- DMU maximum building height
- 3 stories or 45 feet
- Residential entrance separation
- 30 horizontal feet from commercial entrances
Summary
In the City of Beaumont, California, downtown development in the Downtown Mixed Use Zone must meet numeric design standards: a wall projection or recess every 50 feet, an 11-foot minimum ground floor height, 50 percent transparency on street-facing walls, and 360-degree design. The maximum building height is 3 stories or 45 feet.
J.Supplemental Standards, All Development. The standards below apply to all development in the DMU, zones.1.Wall Plane Modulation.a.All non-residential street-facing façades must have at least one horizontal or vertical projection or recess at least two feet in width and depth, for every 50 horizontal feet of wall. ... 2.Ground Floor Height.a.Non-residential ground level floor-to-ceiling height must be a minimum 11 feet. ... 3.Building Transparency/Required Openings. Exterior walls facing and within 20 feet of a front or street side property line shall include windows, doors, or other openings for at least 50 percent of the building wall area located between two and one-half and seven feet above the level of the sidewalk. Such walls may run in a continuous plane for no more than 30 feet without an opening. ... 7.360-Degree Design. All buildings must be designed with "360-degree design" where each exterior wall is designed equivalent to the primary facade in the extent of building articulation, level of detail, and quality of exterior materials, and consistent with the color scheme of the primary facade.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 17.19 of the Beaumont Municipal Code implements the Downtown Area Plan of the City of Beaumont General Plan in Riverside County and creates six downtown zones: Downtown Mixed Use (DMU), Beaumont Mixed Use (BMU), Sixth Street Mixed Use (SSMU), Sixth Street Mixed Use-Residential (SSMU-R), Local Commercial (LC) and Downtown Residential Multifamily (DMF). The design standards sit in Section 17.19.040.J, Supplemental Standards, All Development, which applies to the DMU zone, and the SSMU and SSMU-R zones adopt them by cross-reference in Sections 17.19.060.I and 17.19.070.H.
The façade rules are specific. Under J.1, every non-residential street-facing façade needs at least one horizontal or vertical projection or recess at least two feet in width and depth for every 50 horizontal feet of wall, with a differentiated base, a roof cornice line or parapet, and an eave, awning, overhang, transom, belt course or similar element. Buildings over two stories must articulate the top story with two or more of a color change, a material change, a cornice or belt course, or a change in roof pitch. Under J.2, non-residential ground floors need a floor-to-ceiling height of at least 11 feet and cannot differ from an adjacent non-residential use by more than two feet unless the Community Development Director approves.
Under J.3, walls facing and within 20 feet of a front or street side property line need windows, doors or openings over at least 50 percent of the wall area between two and one-half and seven feet above the sidewalk, and no wall can run in a continuous plane for more than 30 feet without an opening. The figure drops to 40 percent with architectural relief and pedestrian-level landscaping, and the Director can reduce or waive it for a use with unique operational characteristics. Blank ground-level walls over eight horizontal feet need insets, a base of at least 2.5 feet with a cornice, plants covering 50 percent of the wall at maturity, or landscaped trellises over 50 percent.
Other J standards require the primary entrance to face a public sidewalk, residential entrances at least 30 horizontal feet from commercial entrances, signature corner features at intersections, and additions and remodels that match the existing building. J.7 imposes 360-degree design, meaning each exterior wall matches the primary façade in articulation, detail and materials. Section 17.19.040.C.5 caps DMU buildings at 3 stories or 45 feet, and 17.19.040 requires active and retail uses along Sixth Street between California and Palm Avenues and along Beaumont Avenue between 5th and 8th Streets.
Violations & Fines
The Section 17.19.040 design standards print no penalty amounts. They operate as approval standards for downtown projects in Beaumont. Relief comes only from named officials: the Community Development Director can reduce or waive the transparency requirement for unique operational characteristics, and extra curb cuts need approval from the Community Development Director, Public Works Director and Public Safety or the Development Review Committee. Additions and remodels must match the existing building's design.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much glass does a downtown Beaumont storefront need?
How tall can a building be in Beaumont's Downtown Mixed Use Zone?
What is 360-degree design under the Beaumont downtown standards?
Do additions to existing downtown buildings have to match the design?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaumont
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