Commercial Real Estate in Pacheco: County Zoning on Pacheco Boulevard, Industrial Land and Annexation History

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

Pacheco is an unincorporated community wedged between Martinez, Concord and Pleasant Hill, around Pacheco Boulevard, State Route 4 and Interstate 680. Its commercial property is mostly small: auto repair, contractor yards, light industrial and service businesses, plus neighborhood retail along Pacheco Boulevard. Addresses here often read "Martinez," but much of Pacheco is outside any city. Confirm on the parcel record whether the County or the City of Martinez controls the site.

Who controls the parcel

Unincorporated Pacheco is zoned by Contra Costa County’s Department of Conservation and Development under Division 84 of the county zoning code. Its key hearing bodies are the Zoning Administrator and the County Planning Commission. Parcels on the Martinez side of the community may already be inside the city, which zones them under its own code.

The 2012 annexation. In January 2012, Contra Costa LAFCO staff recommended approval of a Martinez proposal to annex North Pacheco. The area covered about 99 acres and 252 parcels between State Route 4, Interstate 680 and the Martinez city line. The staff report described these uses:

Contractor yards, auto repair, mixed commercial and light industrial uses
Older housing and three apartment buildings
A CHP office and a park-and-ride lot
The Contra Costa Canal

A 2019 LAFCO update reports that voters rejected that annexation. Martinez named annexation a top goal and planned to study a "Mountain View/Pacheco Corridor" annexation. Annexation status can change, so check it before you rely on county zoning for a long hold.

The Pacheco MAC. The Pacheco Municipal Advisory Council was formed on September 10, 1991. It advises the Board of Supervisors through the District 5 supervisor and speaks for the community before LAFCO, the Planning Commission and the Zoning Administrator. It meets monthly, except August and December, at the Pacheco Community Center at 5800 Pacheco Boulevard. Expect it to weigh in on any project needing a land use permit.

Service districts. The 2012 LAFCO report lists Contra Costa Water District for water, Mt. View Sanitary District for sewer and the County Fire Protection District for fire service in North Pacheco. The 2019 update notes Martinez also supplies treated water to some North Pacheco properties outside city limits, usually under deferred annexation agreements. Confirm the providers for your parcel.

Pacheco zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

Pacheco uses the county’s standard districts. Confirm the district on each parcel with the county zoning map.

District	Intended uses	Notes
R-B Retail Business	Retail inside enclosed buildings; hotels and motels by right	Auto body garages, contractor and lumber yards, outdoor retail and cannabis need a land use permit
C General Commercial	Wholesale, warehouses, freight terminals, trucking and contractor yards, auto repair, plus R-B uses	Hotels, transit-mix plants and 3+ unit apartments need a land use permit
L-I Light Industrial	Industry that does not need on-site steam power or extensive loading docks	Uses with dust, smoke, fumes or noise need a land use permit
N-B Neighborhood Business	Small convenience retail near homes	Chapter 84-50
P-1 Planned Unit	Project-specific development plans	Used for recent Pacheco Boulevard infill

The county’s C district is unusually broad. It allows trucking yards, freight terminals, warehouses and auto repair garages by right, which suits much of Pacheco’s existing service-industrial base. A C district site next to housing can still face conditions. Access from a road with 55 feet or less of right-of-way that borders a residential district needs a land use permit.

Pacheco Boulevard and the industrial area

Priority Production Area. The county’s 2045 General Plan Stronger Communities Element says the county worked with ABAG and MTC to designate a Priority Production Area in the North Concord, Pacheco and Vine Hill area. Priority Production Areas are industrial clusters slated for economic development investment and protection from competing land uses. For an owner of industrial land, that designation supports keeping the area industrial rather than converting it to housing.

Infill on the boulevard. Residential infill is also moving forward. A Mitigated Negative Declaration filed in August 2025 covers an eight-lot subdivision at 4776 Pacheco Boulevard. The site is a 1.09-acre parcel zoned P-1 with a Multiple-Family Residential Low Density plan designation. The filing notes the application was deemed complete before the 2045 General Plan’s adoption on November 5, 2024, so the older plan governed it. Projects filed now fall under the 2045 plan.

Refinery neighbors. Pacheco sits near the Martinez-area refineries. At a January 2024 Pacheco MAC meeting, residents raised refinery flare notifications and ash cleanup funding. Air quality and industrial hazard questions can come up in permit hearings, especially for sensitive uses like child care or schools.

Cannabis and other county rules

Cannabis. Pacheco is not among the nine communities in the county’s Cannabis Exclusion combining district. Commercial cannabis is a land use permit use in R-B, C and L-I if it meets Chapter 88-28. County licensing limits still apply.

Indoor rule. In R-B, retail must be conducted inside an enclosed building unless a land use permit allows otherwise. That affects outdoor display, car lots and garden centers.

Hotels. Hotels and motels are allowed by right in R-B but need a land use permit in C.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Unincorporated Pacheco has no city transfer tax. The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder charges the county tax of $0.55 per $500. If a parcel is annexed into Martinez, that city’s own transfer tax chapter would apply. Under Proposition 13, a sale generally resets the assessed value. The 2012 LAFCO report said annexed territory would stay liable for existing special taxes and charges, so review the tax bill for district assessments. We did not verify a county business license tax.

Due diligence that matters in Pacheco

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm county versus City of Martinez jurisdiction, and ask whether annexation is being studied.
Confirm the water provider (Contra Costa Water District or Martinez) and sewer service from Mt. View Sanitary District.
Check whether the use is by right in R-B, C or L-I, or needs a land use permit and a Zoning Administrator hearing.
For industrial land, note the Priority Production Area designation.
Check access rules if the site fronts a narrow road bordering homes.
Allow time for Pacheco MAC review of discretionary projects.

Questions people ask

Is Pacheco part of Martinez?

Most of Pacheco is unincorporated and zoned by the county. A 2012 annexation of North Pacheco was approved by LAFCO but rejected by voters.

Can I run a contractor yard in Pacheco?

In the C district, contractor yards are allowed by right. In R-B they need a land use permit.

Who reviews projects locally?

The Pacheco Municipal Advisory Council advises the county, and the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission decides.

Are cannabis businesses possible?

Pacheco is not in the county’s cannabis exclusion district, so cannabis can be a land use permit use if county rules are met.

What is the Priority Production Area?

A regional designation for the North Concord, Pacheco and Vine Hill industrial cluster, aimed at protecting it for production uses.

Who provides sewer?

The 2012 LAFCO report lists Mt. View Sanitary District for North Pacheco. Confirm for your parcel.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Pacheco?

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

Sources & notes

Contra Costa County zoning, Division 84 (GoCodebook): R-B, C uses, L-I uses, Cannabis Exclusion district
Contra Costa LAFCO: North Pacheco Annexation staff report (2012) and City of Martinez Annexation Update (2019)
Contra Costa County: Pacheco Municipal Advisory Council; PMAC minutes, January 10, 2024; 2045 General Plan, Stronger Communities Element
CEQAnet, 4776 Pacheco Boulevard subdivision, SCH 2025081341
Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax

Note: We did not find a separate Pacheco community profile in the portion of the Stronger Communities Element we reviewed. District mapping on specific parcels, height and yard rules, and county business license rules were not verified.

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

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