Commercial Real Estate in Moss Landing: Moss Landing Road, the Harbor and Coastal Industrial Land

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

Moss Landing is a small unincorporated harbor town at the mouth of Elkhorn Slough, and its commercial property comes in three kinds. Shops, restaurants and antique stores line Moss Landing Road. Marine and fishing businesses sit around the harbor on Sandholdt Road. Large industrial parcels lie east of Highway 1 toward Dolan Road. All of it is in the Coastal Zone, so nearly every project needs a County coastal permit. Confirm zoning and permit history with Monterey County Housing and Community Development before relying on this page.

Who controls the parcel

Moss Landing has no city government. Monterey County regulates land use under Title 20, its Coastal Implementation Plan, and the North County Land Use Plan. The County says the Moss Landing Community Plan is Chapter 5 of that land use plan. Two other bodies matter:

• Moss Landing Harbor District. The Harbor District, at 7881 Sandholdt Road, is run by a Board of Harbor Commissioners. It manages the harbor, which it describes as having more than 600 slips for recreational and commercial boats. It also leases waterfront property. At our review it listed a 9,500-square-foot waterfront building for lease. Harbor-side businesses may be tenants of the District rather than fee owners, so read the ground lease.
• California Coastal Commission. County coastal permits can be appealed to the Commission in many locations near the shoreline and slough.

Moss Landing zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

District names come from Title 20, Section 20.08. Standards come from the MLC chapter and the HI chapter.

Moss Landing Road: the MLC district

By coastal administrative permit (the simpler path): retail and light commercial inside a building, offices under 5,000 square feet, general and drug stores, bookstores, banks, secondhand and antique shops, chandleries, tradesperson shops, small mini-warehouses and a caretaker unit. Changing one commercial use to a similar one inside an existing building also takes only an administrative permit.

By coastal development permit: restaurants, bed and breakfasts, service stations, marine and fishing wholesale, laundries, research labs and cottage industries. Alcohol service, amusement or live entertainment within 200 feet of a residential district also needs one. So does any project on steep slopes (25% or more in North County) or within 100 feet of sensitive habitat.

Building form. The code sets a style for new buildings. It calls for an early American look tied to the port, fishing and Western character of the road: one or two stories, wide covered porches with wood posts, a false front on the second story, wood siding and trim, multi-pane windows and natural tones. Height is 24 feet above the road’s centerline. Up to 30 feet above grade needs a variance and a second story no larger than 40% of the footprint. At least 10% of the site must be landscaped, and utilities must go underground where feasible.

Larger sites. A General Development Plan, approved by the Planning Commission, is required before development on lots over one acre, multi-use projects or subdivisions. Projects with 50 or more employees or 25,000 square feet or more must meet vehicle trip-reduction rules.

Industrial land east of Highway 1

The HI(CZ) district allows electric power manufacturing, small offices, light commercial shops and a caretaker unit by administrative permit. Food processing, fish canning, warehouses, contractors’ yards, manufacturing and R&D labs need a coastal development permit. Most of those are heard by the Zoning Administrator. Housing is allowed only if its floor area does not exceed the industrial use. Manufacturing must take place indoors, with outdoor storage screened by walls, fences or plantings at least 6 feet tall.

One example shows how these sites get reused. In 2022 the County circulated a mitigated negative declaration for a General Development Plan and after-the-fact coastal permit at a 183-acre property near Dolan Road. The project would allow commercial cannabis in existing buildings. The record lists the site as HI(CZ) and RC(CZ), next to Highway 1, the Union Pacific line and Elkhorn and Moro Cojo sloughs. Expect environmental review and slough-protection conditions on similar projects.

The community plan update and lodging rules

The County’s Moss Landing Community Plan page shows the update (file GPZ090005) is still in progress. A revised Notice of Preparation for an EIR went out December 6, 2024. Draft North County coastal regulations and a draft Title 20 were open for comment through June 30, 2025, and staff updated the Planning Commission on July 9, 2025. Draft climate-hazard rules are part of the package. A buyer should read the drafts, since future rules for low-lying harbor parcels may change.

Short-term rentals and lodging. Under the County’s short-term rental page, stays of 30 days or less in the Coastal Zone need a discretionary permit through a coastal "similar use" path. The County estimates the cost at about $12,000. Operators must also register for County transient occupancy tax. Bed and breakfasts in MLC need a coastal development permit.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Because Moss Landing is unincorporated, there is no city transfer tax. Monterey County collects its documentary transfer tax at recording, so confirm the amount on the escrow estimate. Businesses in unincorporated areas need a County business license, and lodging pays County TOT. A sale generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment. Harbor District leaseholds can also carry possessory interest tax.

Due diligence that matters in Moss Landing

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

• Confirm the Title 20 district, any combining district (B, D, HR) and whether the parcel is in the Commission’s appeal area.
• Pull the County permit file and any approved General Development Plan.
• For harbor property, get the Harbor District lease, its term and assignment terms.
• Check flood, tsunami and sea-level exposure for low-lying parcels, and follow the draft climate-hazard rules.
• Confirm water and septic or sewer service, since small water systems need their own approvals.
• For industrial sites, check for sensitive habitat within 100 feet and any past environmental review.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Monterey County Title 20, Section 20.08, Zoning Districts
2. Title 20, Chapter 20.20, MLC District
3. Title 20, Chapter 20.28, HI District
4. County HCD, Moss Landing Community Plan Update
5. County HCD, Short-Term Rentals
6. CEQAnet, Moss Landing Commercial Park LLC (SCH 2022050130)
7. Moss Landing Harbor District

Note: The slip count is the Harbor District’s own description. We did not review the LI(CZ), CGC(CZ) or VSC(CZ) chapters, the North County Land Use Plan text, the County transfer tax schedule or the TOT rate. We did not confirm the outcome of the 2022 cannabis project.

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

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