Gilroy, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Gilroy City Code Article XIV, Downtown Specific Plan Districts, sets separate design intent statements for the Downtown Historic District (DHD) and the Downtown Expansion District (DED) under sections 30.14.10 and 30.14.20. The DHD statement of intent directs buildings toward premium local and regional boutique retail and entertainment uses, encourages residential or office space above ground-floor storefronts, and calls for wide sidewalks, paseos, plazas and public art; street-front retail parking is prohibited outright. The DED statement of intent pushes the same historic-plus-contemporary architectural approach, adds beautification through signage, awnings and greenery, and screens parking lots and structures from street view.

Both districts route permitted uses through the commercial use table at section 30.19.10 and require a conditional use permit issued by the planning commission under section 30.50.30 for conditional uses. Site, yard and height limits for both districts flow from the commercial site and building requirement table at section 30.19.20 rather than a standalone downtown table. Density is identical in both districts: mixed-use and commercial projects cap out at a 2.5 floor area ratio, and the residential component of a mixed-use project must hit a minimum of twenty dwelling units per acre.

Properties abutting the railroad corridor face their own design mandate: DHD parcels between Lewis and Seventh Streets must build a 51-foot rear setback with a standard six-foot black powder-coated metal fence with vertical slats, plus a five-foot landscaped buffer, and DED parcels along the corridor follow the same fencing spec while the city and the public utilities commission pursue a pedestrian pathway between Tenth Street and Leavesley Road. Community Development in Gilroy applies these standards during site plan and architectural review before a downtown building permit issues.