Santa Clara, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SCCC Title 18, Chapter 18.26, Downtown Form-Based Code
- Height without bonus
- 2 to 7 stories, 28 to 98 feet (Figure 6-1)
- Height with bonus
- Up to 9 stories, 124 feet, if adopted (Figure 6-2)
- Height deviation allowed
- 0 percent, none permitted (Table 1-1)
- Review required
- Architectural Review under SCCC Section 18.76
- Applies to
- Ten blocks of the Downtown Precise Plan Area
Summary
Santa Clara's Downtown Form-Based Code, Chapter 18.26 of the Zoning Code, caps new buildings in the ten-block Downtown Zone at 2 to 7 stories (28 to 98 feet) without a height bonus, measured from the sidewalk to the top of the parapet, cornice, eave or roof ridge. A future bonus program could allow up to 9 stories (124 feet) for projects providing listed Community Benefits.
6.2. Applicability. The standards and guidelines of this section apply to all new buildings within the Plan Area. All buildings are subject to the Maximum Building Heights without Bonuses (Figure 6-1). If a City height bonus program were to be established, buildings may be permitted to extend up to the Maximum Building Heights with Bonuses (Figure 6-2) for providing Community Benefits (Table 6-1), per Standard 6.3.B. ... A. Maximum Building Heights without Bonuses. All buildings that do not qualify for bonuses (see Standard 6.3.B) are subject to the maximum building heights identified in Figure 6-1. ... C. Measurement of Building Height. As shown in Figures 6-4 and 6-5, building height in feet is measured from the adjacent sidewalk level to the top of the parapet, cornice, eave, or ridge of pitched roof, whichever is taller. Height is regulated by the number of stories as well as the maximum number of feet; buildings shall not exceed either metric (per Precise Plan Policy 5.1.E).
Full Breakdown
A). A). 3). C). Without a bonus, Figure 6-1 tops out at 7 stories/98 feet; if the City Council later adopts a bonus program (not yet in effect as of the code's April 2026 publication), Figure 6-2 would allow up to 9 stories/124 feet in exchange for Community Benefits such as a cultural venue on Arts Commons, a public parking garage, or ground-floor retail rent capped at 60% of market rate for five years (Table 6-1). 1-2). 108).
Violations & Fines
Height violations run through the SCCC § 18.108 deviation process, but height itself carries no deviation allowance: Table 1-1 marks all numeric height standards in Table 6-1, Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-2 at 0%, so the Planning Commission cannot approve a taller building than the chart allows. Noncompliant construction is a zoning violation enforceable by the Director of Community Development under the Title 18 procedures Chapter 18.26 incorporates, including notice to every property within 1,000 feet before a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a building be in downtown Santa Clara?
Can a downtown Santa Clara project get extra height?
Can a developer get a deviation from the downtown height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara
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