Planning & Building Director: Lisa Wight


The Department of Planning is responsible for all land use functions within the Town. Activities include General Plan amendments, Zoning amendments, and the processing of Use Permit, Design Review, and Variance applications.

All planning and zoning information can be accessed on-line under Title 10 of the San Anselmo Municipal Code. Those ordinances adopted after 2001 and not yet codified are available in the Planning Department for review. View the Municipal Code at: http://ordlink.com/codes/sananselmo/index.htm or click on the link below.

Planning applications and design review standards may be picked up at the Planning Department counter anytime during hours of operation, or mailed to citizens upon request.

Hours of operation:
Monday through Thursday,
8:30 – 12 noon

Location: Town Hall (2nd Floor)
525 San Anselmo Avenue
San Anselmo, CA 94960

Phone Number: (415) 258-4616
Fax Number: (415) 454-4683

• Email us at planning@ci.san-anselmo.ca.us

SIGN ORDINANCE

The Town Council recently adopted a new Sign Ordinance and also approved a Sign Amnesty Program, which provides the opportunity to legalize any non-permitted existing signs and proposed new signs without being subject to permit fees through August 13, 2007, provided the signs conform to the new regulations (variance and appeal applications will continue to incur processing fees).
The adoption of the new Sign Ordinance followed several months of public meetings by a Sign Advisory Committee (made up of community members), the Planning Commission and Town Council, with notification and reports for each meeting forwarded to the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Merchants Association, Red Hill Shopping Center, and the Marin Association of Realtors.

Favorable changes with the new Sign Ordinance include additional signage for business owners, such as: One (1) A-Frame per parcel is now allowed on C-1, C-2 and C-3 zoned properties and is exempt from the permit requirement; and One (1) Projecting Sign per use is still allowed on all commercial and professional zoned properties, but now is also exempt from the permit requirement (reference page 2 of the permit application for the parameters of these and other types of exempt signs).

• Ordinance setting policy for signs on private property

• Resolution setting policy for signs on Town property

• Planning Department Fees - click here

• Planning Department Forms - click here

• Submittal Requirements

Second Unit Ordinance

Recently the town adopted a new residential Second Unit Ordinance. To view details, click on Second Unit Ordinance.

• Second Unit Ordinance

• San Anselmo Municipal Code

Housing Element

The Town has received approval from the State of the Housing Element.

• Housing Element

• Appendix A

• Appendix B

• Appendix C

General Plan

The Town's General Plan was adopted in 1989. The Housing Element of the General Plan has recently been updated, as reflected in the above link.

• General Plan, Title page through page 18

• General Plan - Page 19 through 81, map table of contents

• General Plan - Maps

• General Plan - Appendix

Americans with Disabilities Act Accommodations

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in any of the Town's programs, please contact the Town Clerk at 258-4652. TTY phone number is 453-4690. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the event/program/meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable accommodation to help insure accessibility to all the Town's programs.