Salinas | Three or More Homes
Salinas Triplexes, Fourplexes and Apartments: Lot Area, Inclusionary Housing and the Density Bonus
Salinas calls a building of three or more homes on one lot a multifamily dwelling, and a group of two or more separate houses on one lot a multiple detached dwelling. Both are allowed only in the districts built for them: R-M-2.9, R-H-2.1, R-H-1.8 and several commercial and mixed use districts. This page shows how much lot a triplex or fourplex needs, the standards those projects meet, the downtown limits, the City's inclusionary housing rule, the density bonus and SB 79. See the Salinas overview for the whole guide.
Three or more homes in Salinas in six facts
- R-M-2.9 requires 2,900 square feet of lot per home, R-H-2.1 requires 2,100 and R-H-1.8 requires 1,800. Source: SMC 37-30.120, 37-30.170
- Apartments need site plan review in R-M-2.9 and both R-H districts. Source: SMC 37-30.110, 37-30.160
- In calculating density, fractions are rounded down to the next lower whole number. Source: SMC 37-10.220
- Projects creating ten or more homes or lots fall under the inclusionary housing rules. Source: SMC 17-8
- A mixed use building on MX land in the downtown core may reach a 4.0 floor area ratio plus 80 homes per net acre. Source: SMC 37-40.320
- HCD's list of counties where SB 79 took effect on July 1, 2026 does not include Monterey County. Source: HCD SB 79 advisory
How Much Lot a Triplex or Fourplex Needs
| District | Lot area per home | Lot for 3 homes | Lot for 4 homes | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-M-2.9 | 2,900 sq ft | 8,700 sq ft | 11,600 sq ft | 35 ft |
| R-H-2.1 | 2,100 sq ft | 7,200 sq ft (district minimum) | 8,400 sq ft | 45 ft |
| R-H-1.8 | 1,800 sq ft | 7,200 sq ft (district minimum) | 7,200 sq ft | 45 ft |
| Downtown core, MX land | 725 sq ft (homes only) | 7,500 sq ft (district minimum) | 7,500 sq ft | By height figure |
Sources: Salinas Municipal Code 37-30.120, 37-30.170, 37-40.320 and 37-10.220. Lots for three and four homes are VanPlex arithmetic: homes times lot area per home, or the district minimum lot if larger.
The lot area per home is the code's main density control for these districts: R-M-2.9 requires "2,900 sq. ft." per home, R-H-2.1 "2,100 sq. ft." and R-H-1.8 "1,800 sq. ft." The R-H districts also have a 7,200 square foot minimum lot and R-M-2.9 a 5,800 square foot minimum. Section 37-10.220 sets the rounding: "In regard to calculating density, fractional numbers shall be rounded down to the next lower whole number." So a 7,200 square foot R-H-2.1 lot divided by 2,100 gives 3.43, which rounds down to three homes, and a 7,200 square foot R-H-1.8 lot gives exactly four.
The districts also have a floor. In R-M-2.9 the purpose statement calls for "more than eight dwelling units per net acre," and in R-H "more than fifteen." Duplexes, apartments and attached homes there "Must meet the minimum density requirements of the applicable district," except on "existing lots of record that are seven thousand two hundred square feet or less in size." By VanPlex arithmetic, a fourplex on a 12,000 square foot R-H lot is 14.5 homes per acre, below the R-H floor, so a large R-H lot may need more than four homes. Multiple detached dwellings, a cluster of small houses on one lot, need site plan review in R-M-2.9 and R-H, the same as apartments.
Standards for Apartment Projects
| Standard | R-M-2.9 | R-H-2.1 and R-H-1.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Interior side yard | 10 ft | 10 ft |
| Side and rear yard next to R-L-5.5 or R-M-3.6 | 10 ft per story, up to 20 ft | 10 ft per story, up to 30 ft |
| Distance between buildings | 5 ft per story, up to 20 ft | 5 ft per story, up to 20 ft |
| Usable open space per home | 500 sq ft | 500 sq ft |
| Projects of 10 or more homes | 20% with 3+ bedrooms, 10% with 4+ | 20% with 3+ bedrooms, 10% with 4+ |
| Projects of 20 or more homes | Extra 900 sq ft play area | Extra 900 sq ft play area |
Sources: Salinas Municipal Code 37-30.120 and 37-30.170.
Next to house districts the yards grow. In R-M-2.9 the side and rear yards "shall be increased to ten feet per story ... to a maximum of twenty feet" when the lot "abuts an R-L-5.5 or R-M-3.6 district," and in R-H to "a maximum of thirty feet." Buildings on the same lot stand apart by "five feet per story," so two two-story buildings need twenty feet between them. Usable open space, the yard, patio or balcony area set aside for residents, is 500 square feet per home, 600 for projects of 160 or more homes, plus "an additional nine hundred square feet of children's play area" for projects of twenty or more homes other than senior housing.
Projects of ten or more homes have a bedroom mix: 20 percent of the homes with "3 or more bedrooms" and 10 percent with "4 or more bedrooms." The rule "shall not apply to senior housing." Parking for apartments is 1 space for a studio, 1.5 for one bedroom, 2.0 for two or three bedrooms and 3.0 for four or more; the parking, setbacks and height page has the full schedule.
How an Apartment Project Is Approved
In R-M-2.9 and R-H, apartments are an "SPR" use. Site plan review is decided by the city planner with no public hearing, under Table 37-60.10, and it applies to "All new permitted structures and site improvements." The approval "shall expire one year after its effective date" unless a building permit is issued and construction is "diligently pursued," a certificate of occupancy is issued, or the use is established. Projects that are "one hundred percent very-low or low income" do not expire on that clock. Anyone may appeal the city planner's decision "within ten days of the decision."
The fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 charges a residential site plan review "per review" of $1,375.50 for 2 to 9 units, $2,217.00 for 10 to 24 units and $4,434.00 for 25 or more. A conditional use permit, needed for apartments in CR, CT and MAF, costs $6,752.50, or $2,670.25 for an administrative one decided by the city planner. The permits and fees page lists the impact fees paid before the homes are occupied.
Commercial, Mixed Use and Downtown Lots
- CO/R and CO. Homes follow "the R-H-2.1 district development regulations and design standards to a maximum of twenty dwelling units per net acre without a density bonus," with apartments by site plan review.
- CR and CT. Homes follow R-H-1.8 "to a maximum of twenty-four dwelling units per net acre," with apartments by conditional use permit.
- Small mixed use buildings. In the commercial districts, "Up to a maximum of three dwelling units, with two bedrooms or less," may sit in a mixed use building with one parking space and 100 square feet of usable open space per home.
- MAF and MX. Homes-only projects may reach "twenty-four dwelling units per net acre without density bonus," mixed projects "a maximum commercial FAR of 1.0 plus ten dwelling units per net acre," and buildings 65 feet.
- Downtown core. On MX land, a mixed use building may reach "4.0 FAR + 80 d.u. per net acre without density bonus," and a homes-only project needs 725 square feet of lot per home. On CR land the limit is 3.0 FAR plus 24 homes per net acre, and on CO land 3.0 FAR plus 20.
By VanPlex arithmetic, 725 square feet per home on a 7,500 square foot downtown lot allows ten homes, more than double the four an R-H-1.8 lot of 7,200 square feet allows. The focused growth overlay areas have their own standards that "supersede the base district regulations," so check those tables for lots on Laurel Drive, North Main Street and the other three areas.
Inclusionary Housing at Ten Homes
Inclusionary housing is a rule that a share of the homes in a new project be affordable to lower income households. Salinas puts its rule in Chapter 17, Article III. Section 17-8 says the article does not apply to "residential developments creating fewer than ten additional dwelling units or lots," so a triplex, fourplex or nine-home project is outside it. The district tables repeat the point: "See Chapter 17 of the Municipal Code for inclusionary housing requirements for projects with ten or more dwelling units."
- For-sale projects, option one. "four percent" very low income, "eight percent" lower income, "four percent" moderate and "four percent" workforce, "for a minimum twenty percent inclusionary units total."
- For-sale projects, option two. Six percent median, six percent moderate and three percent workforce, "for a minimum fifteen percent inclusionary units total."
- Rental projects. Pay rental housing impact fees and "make twelve percent of the units within the development available to Section 8 housing choice voucher program participants," or provide 12 percent on site (8 percent very low and 4 percent lower income) under a rent regulatory agreement with the City.
- Counting. "Calculations of the number of required inclusionary units shall exclude any density bonus units," and fractions of one-half or more round up.
- Exemptions. Downtown adaptive reuse projects and fully affordable projects with a 30-year restriction are exempt.
The in-lieu fee and rental housing impact fee amounts are set "from time to time by resolution of the city council." The FY 2026-27 fee schedule lists an affordable housing plan review fee of $2,000 for 2 to 9 units, $4,000 for 10 to 25 and $6,000 for more than 25. A ten-home SB 684 map also falls under this article, as the lots and subdivisions page explains.
The Density Bonus
A density bonus lets a project build more homes than the zone allows in return for affordable homes. Salinas Section 37-50.060 follows the state law in Government Code 65915, and the Phase 1 ordinance updated it to the current statute from October 1, 2026. The section covers projects "which would create five or more additional dwelling units." In the updated text, a project "may qualify for a density bonus of up to fifty percent," and with deeper affordability "an additional density bonus of up to fifty percent, for a combined maximum of one hundred percent."
The bonus also brings incentives or concessions, changes to standards that cut costs. Under the updated section a project gets one incentive with 10 percent lower income homes, two with "seventeen percent" and three with "twenty-four percent." Salinas also has its own bonus for "senior housing type 2": an all-senior project of five or more homes where "At least fifty percent of the dwelling units are affordable housing units," which needs a conditional use permit. The fee schedule lists a "Density Bonus Plan Review" fee of $2,000.
SB 79 Does Not Reach Salinas Yet
SB 79 allows taller housing near qualifying rail and bus stops in an "urban transit county," which Government Code 65912.156 defines as "a county with more than 15 passenger rail stations." HCD's SB 79 advisory says the law's upzoning "will take effect on July 1, 2026, in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Diego Counties." Monterey County is not on the list. The advisory adds that "the geographic scope of SB 79 is dynamic," so a Salinas site could qualify later if rail or transit service grows. Until then, the Salinas zone, the density bonus and SB 684 are the routes to more homes.
Best For
- ✓ R-H-1.8 lots of exactly 7,200 square feet, which hold a fourplex and are exempt from the R-H minimum density.
- ✓ Downtown core lots on MX land, at 725 square feet per home.
- ✓ Projects of nine homes or fewer, which stay outside the inclusionary rules.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The lot is a few square feet short of the lot area for the last home, because density rounds down.
- ✕ A large R-H lot holds too few homes to meet the fifteen-homes-per-acre floor.
- ✕ The plan counts on SB 79, which does not apply in Monterey County as of October 2026.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The net lot area after streets and easements are taken out.
- → Whether the lot is in a focused growth area or the downtown core.
- → The current inclusionary in-lieu and rental housing impact fees.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Salinas overview, the duplex to fourplex guide and the SB 684 and SB 1123 page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big a lot do I need for a fourplex in Salinas?
Can a large Salinas R-H lot hold only a fourplex?
Does Salinas require affordable units in a small apartment project?
What are the Salinas inclusionary options for homes built for sale?
Can I build apartments on commercial land in Salinas?
Does SB 79 apply in Salinas?
How does the density bonus work in Salinas?
Does Salinas give a density bonus for senior housing?
How tall can Salinas apartments be?
Do Salinas apartment projects need large units?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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