Commercial Real Estate in Elmira: Mixed-Use Zoning, Farm Uses and County Permits

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

Elmira is a small unincorporated railroad town southeast of Vacaville, surrounded by farmland. There is no commercial district in the usual sense. Business property here means a handful of mixed-use and older commercial lots in the town core, home-based businesses on residential lots, and farm-related businesses on the agricultural land around it. Everything is regulated by Solano County, and many questions come down to the permit level the county code assigns to a use. Confirm zoning and permits with Solano County Planning Services for any specific parcel.

Who controls the parcel

Elmira is not inside any city, so Solano County’s zoning (Chapter 28 of the County Code) and the county General Plan apply. Vacaville’s city limits are nearby, and parcels on the fringe could someday be annexed, but until then the county decides. Water in Elmira comes from a community system: the Solano Irrigation District was lead agency for the Elmira Public Water System Project in 1991, which built a community well, storage tank and distribution system for the town. Ask the district about connection capacity before planning any new business. For other unincorporated areas, see our Solano County commercial guide; for city sites nearby, see our Vacaville commercial guide.

Elmira zoning for commercial and business uses

County Section 28.32 maps three Residential-Traditional Community districts in Elmira. Only one of them allows commercial uses.

District	Intended uses in Elmira	Business uses and permit level	Notes
R-TC-MU Traditional Community Mixed Use	Medium-density housing with retail and business uses in the town core	Neighborhood commercial (under and over 1,500 sq ft), auto repair, service stations, showrooms, outdoor sales, banks, offices and medical clinics by minor use permit; parking lots by right	Liquor service within 200 ft of an R district needs a minor use permit; churches and clubs a use permit
R-TC-1AC (replaced RE-1)	Large-lot homes	Type I home occupation by right; Type II home occupation and hosted rental by administrative permit	Commercial retail and office uses prohibited
R-TC-20 (replaced RE-1/2)	Half-acre homes	Same home business rules as R-TC-1AC; churches by use permit; nursery schools by minor use permit	Commercial retail and office uses prohibited
A-20 to A-160 Exclusive Agricultural	Farmland around Elmira	Small wineries by right; farm stands by size; agritourism events by administrative permit	Large wineries need a use permit
C-N Neighborhood Commercial	Where mapped (county-wide district)	Retail under 1,500 sq ft by right; larger by use permit	Restaurants not allowed

The practical takeaway: in Elmira’s R-TC-MU core, most commercial uses are possible but almost all need a minor use permit, which means a public notice and conditions of approval. Budget time for that, and ask planning staff whether the existing building already has a permit for the use you plan.

The R-TC-MU core and what it allows

The mixed-use district is designed for medium-density homes alongside retail and business uses. Apartments and rooming houses are allowed by right, and so are ADUs, so a mixed-use building with storefront space and housing above or behind fits the district. On the business side, the minor use permit list covers the uses a small town tends to need: a corner store or cafe-scale neighborhood commercial use, auto repair and a service station, an indoor showroom or outdoor sales yard, a mortuary, a bank, professional offices and a medical or dental clinic. Utilities outside the right-of-way need a full use permit.

The density, height and setback standards for R-TC-MU were not in the part of the code we reviewed. The county’s Solano County commercial guide summarizes the district’s lot and height standards; confirm them with planning before you design.

Farm businesses around Elmira

Outside the town core, the land is in the county’s Exclusive Agricultural districts, which the code describes as protecting the county’s largest industry and its family farms. Business uses on that land include:

Wineries. Small wineries are allowed by right; medium wineries need an administrative or minor use permit and large ones a use permit. A winery with less than 25% of its grapes from the site needs a use permit.
Farm stands. Up to 1,000 square feet by right, up to 2,500 with an administrative permit, larger with a minor use permit.
Agritourism. Agricultural homestays and agritourism events need an administrative permit, and seasonal sales lots a minor use permit.

Ag service businesses such as processors, farm supply and trucking belong in the county’s I-AS district; check whether any nearby parcel is mapped that way before assuming a rezoning is needed.

Travis AFB, rail and site constraints

Elmira lies within a few miles of Travis Air Force Base and Vacaville’s Nut Tree Airport. The Solano County Airport Land Use Commission administers compatibility plans for both, and the 2024 Travis amendments, filed on CEQAnet, added a low-altitude maneuvering zone, solar glare analysis and wildlife attractant rules. We did not confirm which compatibility zone, if any, covers Elmira parcels, so ask the ALUC staff about assembly uses, solar arrays or ponds. The town grew up along the railroad, so check rail-adjacent parcels for setbacks, crossings and noise. Outside the water system, plan on wells, and for wastewater, confirm septic capacity with county Environmental Health before adding customers or employees.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Elmira is unincorporated, so the only transfer tax is the county’s: $0.55 per $500 under Solano County Code Section 11-60, collected by the County Recorder. There is no city tax on top. County businesses need a county business license, and hosted rentals also need a transient occupancy tax registration; we did not verify license tax rates. Under Proposition 13, a change in ownership generally triggers reassessment.

Due diligence that matters in Elmira

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm the parcel’s district: only R-TC-MU allows commercial uses in town.
Ask whether the existing use has a minor use permit or is legally nonconforming.
Confirm water service from the community system and septic capacity.
Ask the ALUC whether a Travis or Nut Tree compatibility zone applies.
For farm businesses, confirm the agricultural district and the permit level for your use.
Check for rail setbacks and any Vacaville annexation plans for fringe parcels.

Questions people ask

Can I open a store in Elmira?

In the R-TC-MU district, yes, with a minor use permit for neighborhood commercial uses of any size. The surrounding residential districts prohibit retail and offices.

Who regulates zoning in Elmira?

Solano County Planning Services, because Elmira is unincorporated.

Can I run a business from my Elmira home?

A Type I home occupation is allowed by right in the R-TC residential districts; a Type II home occupation needs an administrative permit.

Is there water service in Elmira?

A community water system was built under a 1991 Solano Irrigation District project. Confirm connection capacity with the district.

Can I open an auto repair shop?

In R-TC-MU, with a minor use permit. It is not allowed in R-TC-1AC or R-TC-20.

What transfer tax applies?

Only the county’s $0.55 per $500.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Elmira?

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

Elmira’s sewer connection is a separate record

The City of Vacaville’s adopted 2022 Downtown Specific Plan describes its wastewater system as serving the city and unincorporated Elmira, with collected wastewater conveyed to the Easterly treatment facility. Municipal wastewater service therefore exists in this community. Confirm whether the particular property is connected, which lateral it uses, and whether a new occupancy or additional unit requires capacity review. County land-use jurisdiction and city sewer service are separate questions.

Sources & notes

Note: We could not find an Elmira-specific county plan or verify which airport compatibility zone covers the town. The distance to Travis and Nut Tree is approximate.

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

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