San Clemente zoning administrator approves short-term rental at duplex with guest and parking limits

Adam Atamian, the City of San Clemente zoning administrator, approved a short-term rental permit on Feb. 19 for Unit A of a duplex (project 25-499), subject to conditions limiting occupancy and on-site parking. Planner Arceli Mejia had recommended the project be found exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and that the zoning administrator adopt Resolution 25-026 with the conditions of approval.

Atamian said the unit is a one-bedroom, one-bath proposed short-term rental and is not within 300 feet of another STLU, is located on a 3,997-square-foot lot near downtown amenities including the San Clemente Library, Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, and the San Clemente Pier and Beach, and meets the minimum operating and development standards described in the staff report. "I will go ahead and approve this," Atamian said as he closed the public hearing and imposed modifications to the staff resolution.

The zoning administrator instructed staff to correct inconsistent guest limits in the resolution (the packet referenced both six guests and four guests) and to add a condition limiting STLU guests to one vehicle parked on-site; Atamian explained that the site appears tight, that the rear unit functions as an on-site property manager residence and that on-site parking must be sufficient to keep guests from parking on the street. The applicant told staff the property manager currently does not drive and that, under the proposed operations, short-term renters would be limited to a single vehicle.

Atamian also noted that the project appears to be an existing nonconformity with regard to the converted two-car garage now containing a laundry area, and he required that the permit reflect the actual on-site parking configuration. The approval is conditioned on the corrected resolution language (including replacing references to six guests with four) and the new condition limiting vehicles to one per rental.

The zoning administrator found the project exempt from CEQA and said there is a 10-day public appeal period. He added that the permit cannot be issued until the minutes of this meeting are reviewed by the City Council, which was scheduled for March 3, 2026.

Clarifying details recorded in the hearing included the lot size (3,997 square feet), the unit configuration (front unit proposed as the STLU, rear unit as on-site property manager), the staff-cited zoning code provision referenced in the staff report, and the 300-foot spacing requirement noted by staff. The record did not include a roll-call vote; the zoning administrator issued the discretionary approval at the hearing and documented conditions to be incorporated into the resolution and permit file.