Commercial Real Estate in Jolon: Jolon Road, Fort Hunter Liggett and Rural County Zoning

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Jolon is a tiny unincorporated settlement in southern Monterey County, along Jolon Road near the entrance to Fort Hunter Liggett. There is no downtown or commercial district. Commercial property here means ranch and farm operations, agricultural support and processing, small visitor uses and businesses that serve the installation and road traffic. Monterey County controls every private parcel, so confirm the zoning, access and water for any site with County Housing and Community Development before relying on this page.

Who controls the parcel

Jolon has no city or community services district. Private land follows the County’s inland zoning code, Title 21, and the South County Area Plan of the 2010 General Plan. The plan’s South County land use map (Figure LU9), adopted October 26, 2010 and amended July 10, 2012, shows Jolon only through road labels, including Jolon Road, Lockwood Jolon Road and Jolon Pleyto Road, surrounded by Farmlands, Permanent Grazing, Rural Grazing and Resource Conservation designations. The County’s 2018 onsite wastewater program lists Jolon among the unincorporated populated places of the Salinas Valley, alongside Bradley, Lockwood, San Ardo and San Lucas.

The federal government is the other major landholder. Fort Hunter Liggett, an Army Reserve installation, covers about 162,000 acres near Jolon Road and Highway 101, according to the Army’s 2010 environmental assessment notice, which cites the installation’s 2007 Real Property Master Plan. County zoning does not govern federal land, but it does govern the private parcels next to it.

Jolon zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

There is no light commercial or industrial district shown around Jolon on the South County map, so business uses come through the agricultural districts. The table is built from the County’s grazing chapters.

District	Intended uses	Business uses and permits
RG Rural Grazing (Ch. 21.32)	Productive grazing land, with support facilities and clustered homes	Farm stands without utilities allowed; with utilities by administrative permit; ag processing, ag support facilities and commercial vacation rentals by Zoning Administrator use permit; B&Bs by use permit
PG Permanent Grazing (Ch. 21.34)	Exclusive grazing land	Similar list, plus cottage industries, farm equipment storage, kennels, riding clubs, hunting and fishing facilities and shooting ranges by use permit
F Farmlands (Ch. 21.30)	Irrigated and productive farmland	Farm stands and agricultural processing by permit; read the chapter for the full list
RC Resource Conservation	Protection of natural resources	Very limited development

Minimum sizes. RG requires at least 10 acres, with density set by the map suffix (RG/20 means one home per 20 acres) and building coverage capped at 5%. PG defaults to 40 acres unless the map says otherwise, such as PG/160.

Height. RG limits main and accessory structures to 35 feet unless the map sets otherwise.

Both grazing chapters were updated by Ordinance 5422 on August 27, 2024. Wineries, tasting rooms and guest ranches are not named in either chapter’s text, so ask the County how such a use would be classified before you buy for it.

Jolon Road and Fort Hunter Liggett

The road. Jolon Road is the access for nearly everything here. A June 13, 2023 congressional support letter for the County’s Defense Community Infrastructure Program application describes the road as about 39 miles long, the only road serving Fort Hunter Liggett, and a narrow two-lane route with little or no shoulder. It connects to Highway 101 at King City and near Bradley. The County sought $14 million to repave about 21.5 miles from the installation entrance at Mission Road south toward Bradley and add six-foot shoulders. We did not confirm whether the grant was awarded. At the north end, Caltrans’s King City pavement project included new streetlights at the Jolon Road southbound off-ramp.

Military compatibility. South County Area Plan Policy SC-1.1 allows only low residential densities next to Fort Hunter Liggett to prevent encroachment, and sets a 500-foot residential setback along the military tank road easement linking the fort with Camp Roberts. The setback does not make existing structures nonconforming or existing lots unbuildable. A business with a residential or lodging component near the boundary should check both.

Water, rivers and other local rules

Wells and septic. With no water or sewer district, a business needs its own well and onsite wastewater system. Under the grazing chapters, a water system serving four or fewer connections is allowed outright, 5 to 14 connections needs an administrative permit, and 15 or more needs a use permit, so a visitor or employee use can trigger water system permitting.

Rivers. Policy SC-5.3 bars new development from the main channels and floodways of the San Antonio, Nacimiento and Salinas rivers, and SC-5.1 protects groundwater recharge areas.

Oil and recreation. Policy SC-3.1 prohibits drilling new oil and gas wells in South County, while SC-5.5 asks that commercial recreation such as camping or water sports at proposed park sites stay moderate in size.

Lodging tax. Rentals of 30 days or less owe the County’s 10.5% transient occupancy tax.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Transfer tax. Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 sets the documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500. There is no city tax in Jolon.

Williamson Act. Grazing land is often under agricultural preserve contracts. Ask the Assessor whether the parcel is enrolled, because contracts limit non-agricultural uses and affect assessed value.

Property tax. A change of ownership generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment.

Due diligence that matters in Jolon

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm the zoning suffix (RG/20, PG/40 and so on) and whether the parcel is a legal lot.
Map the distance to Fort Hunter Liggett and to the tank road easement.
Test well yield and water quality and get a septic feasibility review.
Confirm legal access and road condition, since Jolon Road is the main route in.
Check river floodway and recharge-area limits for sites near the San Antonio River.
Ask whether a Williamson Act contract applies.

Questions people ask

Is there commercial zoning in Jolon?

The South County map shows farmland, grazing and resource conservation designations around Jolon, not a commercial district. Business uses come through agricultural use permits.

Can I open a farm stand?

Yes. In RG and PG, a farm stand without permanent utilities is allowed outright, and one with electricity, plumbing or paving needs an administrative permit.

Can I build an agricultural processing facility?

In RG and PG, agricultural processing plants need a use permit from the Zoning Administrator.

Does Fort Hunter Liggett limit what I can do?

On adjacent land, Policy SC-1.1 keeps residential density low and sets a 500-foot residential setback along the tank road easement.

Who maintains Jolon Road?

The County; in 2023 it sought federal defense community funding to repave about 21.5 miles.

What is the hotel tax?

10.5% of rent, the County’s unincorporated rate.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Jolon?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property in Jolon.

Sources & notes

Note: We did not see parcel-level zoning for Jolon, the F chapter’s full use list or the Fort Hunter Liggett boundary map. The Williamson Act note is general, not verified for any parcel. The outcome of the Jolon Road grant application was not confirmed.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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