Commercial Real Estate in Rodeo: Parker Avenue, the Rodeo P-1 District and the Refinery Shoreline

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

Rodeo is an unincorporated town on San Pablo Bay between Hercules and Crockett. Its commercial property is the small downtown along Parker Avenue and San Pablo Avenue, the marina and waterfront parcels north of the railroad, and the Phillips 66 refinery on the eastern shoreline. Most of downtown and the waterfront sits in a county planned unit district written for Rodeo, so the rules come from that district’s plan rather than a standard zoning table. Confirm the zoning, the development plan and sewer service for every parcel.

Who controls the parcel

Rodeo has no city government. Contra Costa County’s Department of Conservation and Development handles zoning and permits under Division 84. Local services come from separate agencies:

Rodeo Sanitary District. It was formed in 1939 and serves Rodeo and the village of Tormey. It runs 25 miles of pipeline, two force mains, two pump stations and a treatment plant designed for 1.14 million gallons per day, with average dry-weather flow around 0.60 mgd. It shares a San Pablo Bay outfall with Pinole and Hercules under a joint powers agreement.
Water. East Bay Municipal Utility District.
Fire. The Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District, an independent district on Contra Costa LAFCO’s roster. The roster also lists County Service Area R-10 for Rodeo.

Hercules borders Rodeo to the west. A parcel on the Hercules side follows city zoning; see our Hercules page.

Rodeo zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

District or designation	What it covers in Rodeo	Notes
Rodeo Planned Unit District (P-1)	Downtown parcels on Parker Avenue and the waterfront	Uses and standards come from the P-1 final development plan. Deviations need a land use permit
Rodeo Redevelopment Planned-Unit	The marina area	Shown in a 2014 LAFCO report
General Plan: Downtown/Waterfront Rodeo	Downtown and waterfront land	Implements the Rodeo Downtown/Waterfront Specific Plan
General Plan: Commercial Recreational	Marina businesses
General Plan: Light Industrial	Pockets near the Bayo Vista area
Heavy industrial	The refinery	We did not confirm the refinery’s district
R-B Retail Business and other county districts	Any parcels outside P-1	See our county page

The P-1 designations above come from LAFCO reports and a county exemption notice. Read the county zoning map and the P-1 plan for the parcel you are buying.

Downtown, the waterfront and the refinery

Parker Avenue and the P-1 district. The county uses the Rodeo P-1 district for small downtown business decisions. In August 2024 it issued a CEQA exemption for used auto sales on a lot on Parker Avenue between 1st and 2nd streets. The lot has a 229 sq ft office and a carport. The applicant asked for P-1 deviations to provide one parking space where eight were required. Expect parking, signs and use mix on small downtown lots to be handled the same way, through a land use permit with deviations.

Housing sites downtown. The county’s surplus land listing for 233 Parker Avenue shows 1.16 vacant acres across three parcels, with a housing element designation allowing 30 to 75 units per acre. Mixed-use buyers should look at the county’s housing element sites around downtown.

Specific plan. The county prepared a Rodeo Waterfront/Downtown Specific Plan. Its draft EIR was released in October 1995, and the 2014 marina report says the EIR was certified in August 1997.

Marina. The 2014 LAFCO marina report describes about 16.7 acres on the bay, with a marine engine repair shop, boat storage and a restaurant and bar, next to the regional park district’s Lone Tree Park trail area. Possible future uses named there included an RV campground and a harbor master building. Owners were to pay for sewer extensions and connection fees. The report also notes the county treats Rodeo as a disadvantaged unincorporated community.

Phillips 66 Rodeo Renewed. The refinery at 1380 San Pablo Avenue is being converted to make renewable diesel and other renewable fuels instead of processing crude oil. The county’s project page says the Board of Supervisors approved the land use permit on May 3, 2022. After a CEQA lawsuit, a court in October 2023 let construction continue but barred operations pending further review. The Board certified a revised EIR on January 16, 2024. Confirm current operating and litigation status. The county’s 2045 General Plan, in action SC-A9.3, calls for nominating the refinery and nearby industrial land as a Priority Production Area.

Other local rules

Cannabis. Rodeo is not in the county’s cannabis exclusion district. Cannabis uses still need county permits where the district allows them.
Sewer capacity. Rodeo Sanitary District’s plant runs well below its design capacity. New users still need annexation if outside the district and must pay connection fees.
Shoreline. Waterfront parcels can need regional shoreline permits as well as county approvals.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 in documentary transfer tax. Rodeo is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. We did not verify a county business license requirement. A sale is generally a Proposition 13 change of ownership.

Due diligence that matters in Rodeo

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Get the P-1 final development plan and any deviations approved for the parcel.
Confirm Rodeo Sanitary District service, or the cost to annex and connect.
For waterfront and rail-adjacent land, check easements, flood exposure and shoreline permits.
Near the refinery, review air permits, buffer issues and the Rodeo Renewed status.
Order Phase I environmental work on any former industrial or auto site.
Confirm the parcel is in Rodeo and not Hercules.

Questions people ask

Who regulates land use in Rodeo?

Contra Costa County. Rodeo is unincorporated.

What zoning covers downtown Rodeo?

Much of it is the Rodeo Planned Unit District (P-1), so uses follow a development plan.

Can I get parking reduced on a small Parker Avenue lot?

Through a P-1 deviation with a land use permit, as the county considered in 2024 for a used auto lot.

What is happening at the refinery?

Phillips 66 is converting it to renewable fuels under a 2022 county permit. A revised EIR was certified in January 2024.

Who provides sewer?

The Rodeo Sanitary District, formed in 1939, which also serves Tormey.

Is there a city transfer tax?

No. Only the county tax of $0.55 per $500 applies.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Rodeo?

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

Sources & notes

Rodeo Sanitary District, About
Contra Costa LAFCO: Roster of Cities and Special Districts, Rodeo Marina annexation (13-03), Bayo Vista annexation (13-04)
Contra Costa County, Phillips 66 Rodeo Renewed and 2045 General Plan Stronger Communities Element
CEQAnet: Parker Avenue land use permit (SCH 2024080517) and Rodeo Waterfront/Downtown Specific Plan (SCH 1995033059)
Contra Costa County, 233 Parker Avenue surplus site listing
County Ordinance Code Division 84 (GoCodebook) and Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder

Note: The Rodeo P-1 development plan text, the refinery’s zoning district, the 2045 General Plan’s Rodeo profile and the current Rodeo Renewed operating status were not reviewed.

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

Inquire about a listing or to schedule a meeting

Matthew Martinez

Your inquiry is processed through our iHomefinder service. Review the form’s contact choices before submitting. Privacy Policy · Terms of Use.