Medina residential zoning
Medina residential zoning and setbacks by zone and lot size
Medina's base zone establishes minimum lot dimensions, while the actual lot area and width determine the setback formula. Overlays, shoreline location, original grade, trees, and private covenants can be just as important as the base zone.
On this page5 sections
Official starting point: Medina planning and zoning. Verify the parcel zone, current code, and every applicable footnote before fixing the design.
Medina residential lot standards
| Zone | Minimum lot | Minimum width | Minimum depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-16 | 16,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 70 ft |
| R-20 | 20,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 70 ft |
| R-30 | 30,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 90 ft |
| SR-30 | 30,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 90 ft |
Base setbacks by actual lot area
For lots over 20,000 square feet, side yards also depend on lot width.
| Actual lot area | Front | Rear | Side yard | Upper-story side yard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 sq ft or less | 25 ft | 25 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| 10,001 to 13,000 sq ft | 26 ft | 26 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| 13,001 to 15,000 sq ft | 28 ft | 28 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| 15,001 to 20,000 sq ft | 30 ft | 30 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| Over 20,000 sq ft | 30 ft | 30 ft | 20% of width, 15 to 20 ft | 25% of width, 20 to 25 ft |
Other rules to check
Other rules that can change the answer
These items link to the city rules behind the guide. They are useful starting points, but they do not replace a property-specific review or a search for private covenants and easements.
| Topic | What it means | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| FAR | Medina does not use residential FAR. Structural coverage, impervious surface, setbacks, and height control bulk. | Medina planning FAQ ↗ |
| Setbacks | Current interim Ordinance 1059 uses lot-area tiers for front/rear yards, 15-ft first-floor and 20-ft upper-story side yards through 20,000 sq ft, and lot-width formulas above 20,000 sq ft. It also sets a 90-ft minimum lot width across the residential zones. The City is developing permanent bulk standards, so verify status before filing. | Medina Ordinance 1059 ↗ |
| Lot coverage | Medina uses lot-size-based structural-coverage tables: generally 21%–30% in R-16 and 21%–25% in R-20/R-30/SR-30, with limited bonuses for qualifying uncovered features. | MMC 16.23.020–.040 ↗ |
| Impervious surface | R-16 is 55%; R-20 is 52.5%; R-30/SR-30 is 52.5% below 30,000 sq ft and 50% at 30,000 sq ft or more. | MMC 16.23.020 ↗ |
| Height | R-16 uses 25 ft from original grade and 28 ft from finished grade; R-20/R-30 uses a 25-ft low-point plane; SR-30 uses 20 ft original/23 ft finished; Medina Heights is 20 ft. Ordinance 1059 continues the interim removal of the former bonus-height path. | MMC 16.23 and Ordinance 1059 ↗ |
| Trees | Medina says a tree permit is almost always required. Development needs the current Chapter 16.52 inventory, retention, protection, and replacement review. | Medina tree-permit guidance ↗ |
| Existing private views | Chapter 14.08 is a voluntary/private process for qualifying preexisting views or sunlight later obstructed by trees. The City has no obligation to enforce it, and it is not a building-view veto. | MMC Chapter 14.08 ↗ |
| Wetlands, slopes, and critical areas | Medina defines net lot area to exclude vehicular access areas and land made unbuildable by critical areas. When a wetland, buffer, or geologic hazard may make land unbuildable, the public parcel area cannot be used as the final structural-coverage or site-capacity denominator without a surveyed code calculation. Medina prohibits ordinary development in wetlands and wetland buffers unless an exception or approved mitigation path applies. Steep-slope buffers are established from the top and toe using the slope height and a geotechnical analysis, so the usable building area is site-specific. | Medina Chapter 16.50 critical areas ↗ |
Property-specific checks
What can change the table
- R-16 generally uses 25 feet above original grade or 28 feet above finished grade. R-20/R-30 use a 25-foot low-point plane; SR-30 uses 20 feet from original grade or 23 feet from finished grade.
- The Medina Heights Overlay uses a stricter 20-foot height limit. Current interim Ordinance 1059 continues the larger side-yard rules and removal of the former bonus-height path while the City develops permanent bulk standards; reverify after January 2027.
- Medina does not state a base residential FAR, so there is no garage-in-FAR adjustment. The garage still occupies structural and impervious coverage.
- Recorded covenants and architectural-control documents can be stricter than city zoning.
How to use this guide
How to use the zoning table for a real property
- 1
Find the parcel on the city's current zoning map and copy the complete zone name.
- 2
Read the full row, table footnotes, and definitions. Do not use only the front setback.
- 3
Check corner-lot yards, access easements, critical areas, shorelines, trees, overlays, and recorded restrictions.
- 4
Use a boundary and topographic survey to place the setbacks against the actual lot.
- 5
Have the city or project team confirm any uncertainty before the design is fixed.
Official resources