If you’re looking at land or a home on the south edge of Loma Linda, start by confirming whether the parcel falls within the Hillside Conservation area. Chapter 20.12 of the Loma Linda Municipal Code sets a maximum density of one residential unit per ten acres there. It allows up to one unit per five acres only when all five specified conditions are met.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
The chapter also addresses existing legal lots, roads, trails, open space, and changes to the rules. Those details matter alongside the acreage.
How do you know whether the rule applies?
Ask the City of Loma Linda Planning Division for the Exhibit A map and the parcel’s designation.
Section 20.12.030 identifies the area through the legal description in Exhibit B and the map in Exhibit A. This guide does not say which parcels are inside the boundary; the Planning Division can confirm a parcel’s designation.
The chapter describes approximately 1,157 gross acres as the Hillside Conservation area. It also says the general plan designates the critical areas of the South Hills as conservation areas, with lower density development on private land and open space on city acquired land.
Use the boundary documents to connect those area rules to the property you’re considering. For broader land purchase questions, the guide to buying land in Temecula provides a separate reference; this chapter supplies the Loma Linda rules discussed here.
P. sent us a hillside listing and asked why nobody had bought it. A few minutes later, he sent another photo: “Look at that view.” He could already picture the house, the deck, even where he’d have his morning coffee. We asked what he’d confirmed about access and what could be built there. “That’s what I need you for,” he said. Fair enough, but the South Hills conservation rules needed to come before any more house planning.
What is the basic density limit?
The basic maximum is one residential unit per ten acres, with a conditional maximum of one unit per five acres.
Section 20.12.020 describes those limits as appropriate for the rugged hillside terrain. The higher density is tied to the conditions in Section 20.12.050. Acreage alone does not satisfy them.
Keep project density and individual lot size separate. Under the clustering criteria, a lot cannot be smaller than 2.5 acres. The project still has to meet the applicable density limit.
The chapter’s purposes include preserving flora and fauna, minimizing the costs of extending streets and utilities to difficult terrain, and providing trails and environmentally sensitive access. Its density provisions sit within that broader conservation framework.
What qualifies for the clustering bonus?
A project must meet all five criteria in Section 20.12.050 to qualify for up to one unit per five acres.
The criteria address the layout and the land retained around development:
- The project is clustered, and no lot smaller than 2.5 acres is permitted.
- The city determines that development, including roads and utility extensions, stays off north facing slopes to the maximum extent feasible. The chapter identifies those slopes as the prime view from Downtown Loma Linda.
- The need to extend streets, utilities, and other services is minimized.
- Significant natural areas, view areas, and habitats are preserved as permanent open space or conservation areas.
- Riding and hiking trails are provided as called for by applicable city plans.
These are cumulative requirements. A clustered layout by itself does not establish eligibility. Neither does meeting the minimum lot size while leaving the road, utility, open space, or trail requirements unresolved.
Ask the Planning Division how a proposed layout addresses each criterion.
Can a smaller existing legal lot have a home?
Section 20.12.040 allows one residential dwelling unit on a qualifying existing legal lot that lacks enough land to meet the chapter’s density requirements.
The exemption applies to legal lots existing as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in the chapter. Development remains subject to all other applicable provisions of Chapter 20.12 and guidelines adopted under it. The chapter’s ordinance history lists Ordinance 495 in 1993 and Ordinance 541 in 1996; ask the city to confirm the lot’s status under the exemption.
For that separate issue, see the guide to unpermitted work disclosures. For questions about accessory dwellings, consult the ADU rules guide and ask the city how applicable rules relate to the parcel.
What does the chapter say about roads and other uses?
The chapter says no through roads should be permitted except Oakwood Drive extended continuously to connect to Scotch Lane and Reche Canyon Road.
That is the wording in Section 20.12.050: “should,” rather than an absolute prohibition. Keep the named exception in view when asking the city about circulation and a proposed road layout.
The conservation element also says other consistent uses should be limited to riding, hiking, other trails, educational activities, and research activities. Accessory uses such as corrals, riding stables, and groves may be allowed where the city determines through environmental review that they are consistent.
A listed accessory use therefore needs the city determination described in the chapter. Its appearance in the text is not an unconditional allowance.
Who can change these rules?
Section 20.12.080 says the chapter can be amended or repealed only by a majority of voters voting in an election on it.
The city council also has authority under Section 20.12.070 to adopt guidelines. Guidelines and amendments to the chapter are separate provisions.
Before relying on a development assumption, check the current text in the city’s municipal code. Ask the Planning Division for applicable adopted guidelines along with the boundary map and parcel designation.
Are the citywide density bonus hearings the same thing?
The separate citywide density bonus proposals are a different thing from Chapter 20.12’s local clustering bonus.
As of 23 October 2026, the city’s hearing notices describe a proposed Chapter 17.121 to implement state density bonus law. A City Council hearing was set for October 13, 2026, and related housing items were set for the Planning Commission on October 21, 2026.
The hearing outcomes were not verified, and the notices do not say whether the proposed Chapter 17.121 applies in the Hillside Conservation area. Do not treat those notices as confirmation that the hillside rules changed.
The short version
Confirm the parcel’s designation first, then ask which Chapter 20.12 provisions apply.
The starting density is one unit per ten acres. The one unit per five acres clustering bonus requires all five criteria, and qualifying existing legal lots have a separate dwelling exemption. Contact the city’s Community Development Department at (909) 799-2827 for the map, lot status, and applicable guidelines.
Want a read on your own home’s value? Use the home value tool.
Common questions
What is the density limit in the Hillside Conservation area?
Chapter 20.12 sets a maximum density of one residential unit per ten acres, with up to one unit per five acres when all five clustering criteria are met.
What is the minimum lot size for clustered development?
The clustering criteria do not permit a lot smaller than 2.5 acres. That minimum lot size does not replace the project's density limit.
Can an existing legal lot smaller than the density requirement be developed?
Section 20.12.040 allows one residential dwelling unit on qualifying legal lots existing when the ordinance took effect, consistent with the chapter's other applicable provisions and adopted guidelines.
How can you confirm whether a parcel is in the conservation area?
Ask the City of Loma Linda Planning Division for the Exhibit A map and the parcel's designation.
