Planning 
COVID-19 PROCEDURE: City Hall is open with limited capacity for in person appointments. Members of the public and applicants are strongly encouraged to email, phone or video conference with staff to conduct business. The Community Development Department will continue to accept permit applications, development inquiries, and plan reviews electronically. |
The Planning Division is responsible for two primary functions:
- Advance Planning: includes updating the City’s General Plan, Local Coastal Program, Zoning Code and other documents that provide direction to the City's growth and future development;
- Current Planning: Current planning involves implementation of the City-adopted plans and regulations, and includes historic preservation, land use and architectural review processes. All plans for new construction or alterations are reviewed by the Planning Division for compliance and may be referred to the Zoning Administrator, Architectural Review Board, Historic Resources Committee, and Planning Commission for review and action.
An Application for Planning Permit and payment of fees are required for most planning projects. The Submittal Checklist and Project Data Sheet may also be required if the project has to go before the Architectural Review Board for review and action.
Additional Information & Resources

Document Center
The Document Center provides easy access to public documents. Click on one of the categories below to see related documents or use the search function.
Categories always sorted by seq (sub-categories sorted within each category)
Documents sorted by SEQ in Ascending Order within category
Documents sorted by SEQ in Ascending Order within category
Design Guidelines and Handouts35 documents
Zoning and Permits12 documents
- Acronyms Used in City of Pacific Grove
- Applying for a Permit
- Butterfly Habitat
- Building Coverage
- Development in the Coastal Zone
- Floor Area and Site Coverage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Non-Conforming
- Noticing and Permit Paths
- Permit Approvals Required by Project Type, R-1 Zoning Outside the Coastal Zone
- Residential Zoning Report Requests (RZRR)
- What is a Site Plan?