Commercial Real Estate in Bolinas: Coastal Village Zoning, the Water Moratorium and What Can Change Hands

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

Bolinas is an unincorporated coastal village in West Marin, and its commercial property is a short list of buildings in the small downtown near the lagoon mouth. Think a market, restaurants and a bar, a few shops, and mixed buildings with apartments upstairs. Agricultural land and a few home-based businesses sit outside the village. Because new water connections have been frozen for decades, the value of any Bolinas commercial property rests on the meter, sewer connection and permits it already has. Confirm zoning, utility rights and coastal permit history for every parcel.

Who controls the parcel

Bolinas has no city government. Three bodies matter:

Marin County handles zoning and permits through its Coastal Zoning Code (Title 20) and the Local Coastal Program. The Bolinas Community Plan, written by local residents and adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 9, 1975, was amended in 1983 and 1997. The separate Bolinas Gridded Mesa Plan was approved by the county in November 1984 and by the Coastal Commission on March 27, 1985. The county’s Land Use Plan (policy C-INT-3) makes the Gridded Mesa Plan part of the LCP and a legal standard for coastal permits.
The Bolinas Community Public Utility District (BCPUD) provides water, sewer, solid waste and drainage. It was formed in 1967 from two earlier districts, one of them a sanitary district dating to 1908.
The California Coastal Commission hears appeals of many county coastal permits.

Fire protection comes from the Bolinas Fire Protection District. See our Marin County commercial guide for countywide context.

Bolinas zoning for commercial and mixed use

Bolinas is entirely in the Coastal Zone, so the coastal districts in Chapter 20.62 apply. The village commercial area uses C-VCR. The surrounding land uses residential, agricultural and open-area districts. Check the county zoning map for each parcel.

District	Intended uses	Notes (Table 5-3)
C-VCR Village Commercial/Residential	Historic village center serving residents and visitors	Retail, offices and restaurants up to 40 patrons permitted. Larger restaurants, bars, hotels and B&Bs with 4–5 rooms by use permit. Home occupations permitted
C-RMPC Residential/Commercial Multiple Planned	Mixed residential and commercial	Retail, offices and small restaurants permitted. Multifamily permitted
C-H1 Limited Roadside Business	Rural businesses serving motorists	Most uses by use permit. No bars
C-RA, C-R1, C-R2	Residential, with home occupations	B&Bs with 3 rooms or fewer permitted. 4–5 rooms by use permit
C-APZ / C-ARP	Agriculture	C-APZ density capped at 1 unit per 60 acres
C-OA Open Area	Open space, recreation, beach access	—

In C-VCR, residential uses within the mapped village commercial core are limited to upper floors, or to lower floors away from the street side. Outside the core, housing is the principal permitted use.

What really limits business use: water and sewer

Water. The BCPUD declared a water shortage emergency in November 1971 and imposed a moratorium on new connections. It remains in effect under Resolution 173 of 1977. The district advises buyers of undeveloped land to account for it. The district serves 587 homes and businesses from Arroyo Hondo Creek and two small reservoirs inside Point Reyes National Seashore, with an estimated maximum yield of 167 acre-feet a year. Two wells were approved as emergency sources in 2021. Expanding a restaurant or changing a use that needs more water depends on what the existing connection allows.

Sewer. The district’s hazard profile lists 162 sewer connections in downtown Bolinas and one on the Mesa. A sewer connection moratorium dates to 1985, and capacity problems occur in years with more than 50 inches of rain. Outside downtown, properties rely on septic, and the county has a separate well-drilling policy for the Gridded Mesa. A downtown commercial building with an existing sewer connection is very hard to replicate.

Coastal permits, village core and lodging

Coastal Development Permits. Most development and many changes of use need a CDP. Decisions on "permitted" and conditional uses can generally be appealed to the Coastal Commission, which adds time.
Village commercial core. The county’s C-PK-3 FAQ lists Bolinas among six villages with a proposed core area. There, new ground-floor housing on the street side would need a use permit and a finding that village commercial character is kept. Confirm the adopted core boundary with the county.
Short-term rentals. Under Chapter 5.41 (Ordinance 3816, May 2024), Bolinas has its own cap: 63 licenses initially, falling to 54. Each owner gets one license, and multifamily units generally do not qualify. Hotels, B&Bs and campgrounds are exempt from the STR license, so a legally permitted inn or B&B is scarce and valuable.
Lagoon and beach. Bolinas Lagoon was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on September 1, 1998. County code also has chapters on Bolinas Beach camping and lagoon moorings. Waterfront uses face strict habitat review.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Marin County Recorder’s sheet shows the county documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500, excluding assumed liens. With no city, Bolinas has no city transfer tax. Every business in unincorporated Marin needs a county business license, renewed by July 31. Lodging and stays of 30 days or less also need a transient occupancy tax certificate. A sale generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment.

Due diligence that matters in Bolinas

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Get written confirmation from the BCPUD of the water connection and sewer connection tied to the parcel, and what use they serve.
Pull the county’s coastal permit and use permit history, especially for restaurants, bars and lodging.
Confirm the C-VCR district and whether the parcel is in the village core.
For septic properties, get a county Environmental Health record and inspection.
Check flood, bluff and tsunami exposure for lagoon-side and Mesa parcels.
For any rental income, confirm STR license status. Licenses are capped and limited to one per owner.

Questions people ask

Can I get a new water connection in Bolinas?

Generally no. The BCPUD’s moratorium on new connections has been in effect since 1971, so most commercial value is tied to existing connections.

What kind of restaurant can open in the village?

In C-VCR, restaurants serving up to 40 patrons are permitted. Larger restaurants and bars need a use permit, and most work needs a Coastal Development Permit.

Who approves a change of use?

Marin County’s Community Development Agency, under the coastal zoning code. Many decisions can be appealed to the Coastal Commission.

Is downtown Bolinas on sewer?

Yes, about 162 downtown connections are on the BCPUD system. A sewer connection moratorium dates to 1985, and most other parcels use septic.

How many short-term rental licenses does Bolinas have?

63 initially, falling to 54 over time, under the county’s 2024 ordinance.

Is there a city transfer tax?

No. Bolinas is unincorporated, so only the county’s $0.55 per $500 applies.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Bolinas?

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

Sources & notes

Note: The C-PK-3 FAQ dates from 2016, before final action on the policy, so confirm the current core boundary with the county. We did not read the full Bolinas Community Plan text or Resolution 173.

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

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