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

020, Architectural (-A) Overlay District, sets the design framework for downtown San Clemente. Its stated goals include maintaining the "Spanish-Village-by-the-Sea" character, keeping a high quality of design consistent with the City's history under the General Plan Urban Design Element and the City's Design Guidelines, and requiring new buildings and major remodels to reflect Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Two narrow exceptions exist: certain North and South El Camino Real properties may instead use another true Spanish style such as Mission, Monterey or Mediterranean, and remodels of historically significant buildings with a distinctive non-Spanish style must instead preserve their original character-defining features.

For new construction, the code is direct: the architectural character of all new buildings must reflect a pedestrian orientation and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture unless one of those exceptions applies, and both new and historic structures must comply with all relevant sections of the City's Design Guidelines as well as the underlying zone's development standards. Minor remodels (cosmetic changes like paint, re-stucco or small additions) only need to follow the underlying zone's standards and general Design Guidelines, while major remodels that significantly alter a building's footprint, add stories or change the roof design must meet the same architectural-style and pedestrian-orientation requirements as new construction, plus the Design Guidelines sections specific to Spanish Colonial Revival and pedestrian districts.

110 for designated historic resources and landmarks, and the Review Authority must specifically find that the project complies with the purpose and intent of the Architectural Overlay before approval.