Commercial Real Estate in San Pablo: San Pablo Avenue, 23rd Street, Rumrill and the Zoning Overlays

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

San Pablo is a small, dense city in west Contra Costa County, almost surrounded by Richmond. Its commercial property runs along three corridors: San Pablo Avenue, from the casino to Contra Costa College; 23rd Street, with its restaurants and small shops; and Rumrill Boulevard, a former industrial corridor the city replanned in 2025. Overlays for transit areas, I-80 air quality and creeks change what can be built. Confirm city limits, the base district and every overlay for the parcel.

Who controls the parcel

The City of San Pablo Community Development Department applies Title 17 of the municipal code. The zoning code dates from 2015 and was amended several times in 2025 and again in April 2026.

San Pablo’s borders with Richmond and unincorporated North Richmond and El Sobrante run through blocks, so a "San Pablo" address may be in another jurisdiction. A Richmond-side parcel pays Richmond’s tiered transfer tax and follows Richmond zoning. See our Richmond and El Sobrante pages, and check the assessor’s tax rate area.

San Pablo zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

Chapter 17.34 sets six districts.

District	Intended uses	Key standards
NC Neighborhood Commercial	Convenience retail, restaurants, offices, medical	30 ft, FAR 1.0. Multifamily, bars and gas stations need a use permit
CR Regional Commercial	Malls, home improvement, car dealers	50 ft. Multifamily allowed by right. Office FAR 0.75
CMU Commercial Mixed-Use	Ground-floor retail with offices or housing	50 ft, FAR 1.5, up to 50 units/acre. Housing needs commercial FAR of at least 0.5
MUCW Mixed-Use Center West	Gateway multifamily and active commercial on Rumrill	60 ft, FAR 0.5 to 2.5, 30 to 60 units/acre
IMU Industrial Mixed-Use	Light manufacturing, distribution, flex, R&D	65 ft, FAR 0.6. Truck repair by right
EMU Employment Mixed-Use	Production, repair, small manufacturing, live/work	60 ft, 60 units/acre on sites over 0.25 acre

The code text and tables disagree in two places: CR non-office FAR (0.40 or 0.5) and whether IMU allows retail. Ask Planning before relying on either.

The three corridors

San Pablo Avenue. The city describes it as the main corridor, tying together historic San Pablo, the civic center and retail hubs between the casino and the college. It is governed by the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan, whose EIR was filed in April 2011. The code calls it the SP2 special district. Uses and standards come from the plan, not the base district table. The plan was written to support transit-oriented infill and a commercial and entertainment hub near Contra Costa College and Doctors Medical Center, according to its CEQA listing.

23rd Street. The city’s corridor page calls 23rd Street its food and culture center, known for Latinx restaurants and small businesses. It is a designated Priority Development Area.

Rumrill Boulevard. The City Council adopted the Rumrill Corridor Plan on July 7, 2025. Rumrill runs from the southwestern city limit to Broadway and San Pablo Avenue. The EMU and MUCW districts implement it, opening former industrial land to housing, live/work and small production uses. The corridor’s PDA covers the stretch between Brookside Drive and Costa Avenue.

Overlays that change the deal

Chapter 17.38 adds overlays that override the base district where they conflict:

D2 Priority Development Area. This covers Rumrill Boulevard, 23rd Street, the San Pablo Avenue plan area and land within a quarter mile of rapid transit stations. It allows 20 to 60 units per acre (four-unit minimum), FAR 0.5 to 2.5 and 60 feet.
D3 Air Quality Health Risk. This applies within 500 feet of Interstate 80. Sensitive uses such as housing, schools and day care need a conditional use permit, MERV 16 filtration, a landscape buffer and a TDM plan. The section was last amended in April 2026.
D1 Hillside. Buildings over one story need review, a geotechnical report and fire protection findings.
CP Creek Protection. No structures in floodways, and floodplain floors must be at or above the flood line.
HE Housing Element sites. Five listed parcels, including 2405 Church Lane and 3436/3440 San Pablo Dam Road, get streamlined review for projects with 20% lower-income units and must reach 30 units per acre.

Point-of-sale inspections and other local rules

San Pablo’s Residential Health and Safety ordinance, Chapter 15.52, matters for mixed-use buildings with apartments. Selling any covered dwelling unit requires a resale certificate after a city inspection. If repairs are not done by closing, the buyer can take a recorded temporary certificate and must finish within 60 days. Extended-stay motels and hotels are covered too.

Other items to check:

Outdoor sales, storage and seating rules in Chapter 17.52, and parking in Chapter 17.54.
Special nonresidential uses in Chapter 17.62.
Business licenses and fees, Chapter 5.04. We did not verify rates.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 in county documentary transfer tax and lists added city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond. San Pablo’s Chapter 3.20 sets a city tax of $0.275 per $500, administered by the Recorder. Because no added San Pablo tax is listed, the city share appears to be credited within the county total. Confirm with escrow. A sale is generally a Proposition 13 change of ownership.

Due diligence that matters in San Pablo

Begin with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm the parcel is in San Pablo, not Richmond or unincorporated county.
Pull the base district and check each overlay: D2, D3, D1, CP and HE.
On San Pablo Avenue, read the specific plan’s standards for the site.
On Rumrill, check EMU or MUCW standards under the 2025 plan.
For buildings with apartments, order the Chapter 15.52 resale inspection early.
Within 500 feet of I-80, plan for D3 permits on any housing or sensitive use.

Questions people ask

What plan governs San Pablo Avenue?

The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan, the SP2 special district in the zoning code.

When was the Rumrill Corridor Plan adopted?

July 7, 2025. It is implemented through the EMU and MUCW districts.

Can I build housing near I-80?

Within 500 feet, the D3 overlay requires a conditional use permit and air filtration measures.

What density is allowed in the transit overlay?

The D2 overlay allows 20 to 60 units per acre with at least four units.

Do commercial sales need a city inspection?

Only for buildings with dwelling units or extended-stay lodging, under Chapter 15.52.

Is there a city transfer tax?

Chapter 3.20 sets $0.275 per $500, but the Recorder lists no added tax beyond the county rate. Confirm with escrow.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in San Pablo?

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

Sources & notes

San Pablo Municipal Code Title 17 (GoCodebook, October 2026 edition): Chapters 17.34 and 17.38
San Pablo Chapter 15.52, Residential Health and Safety and Chapter 3.20, Real Property Transfer Tax
City of San Pablo, Rumrill Corridor Plan and Commercial Corridors
CEQAnet, San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan (SCH 2010112062)
Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax

Note: The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan’s adoption date and standards, business license rates and inspection fees were not verified.

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

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