Buying Land Specifically for a Private shop

General
1

Are there any enthusiasts/ realtors on here that can answer a hypothetical for me?

I’ll be retiring from 20+ years in the Corps next year, wife is dead set on moving back to Southern California and I’ve always dreamed of having a large shop garage (most I’ve ever had is a 2-car).

I know the cost of living out there is astronomical, we have been planning for all this and have saved accordingly.

Plan is to buy a small townhome, somewhere in Escondido or Poway, and buy a blank plot of land relatively close to build the shop on.

So, the question is… if we buy a small plot of land with the sole intention of building a private shop on said land, what kind of zoning do we need to look at? What is the least restrictive? What will be the most beneficial in the future (ie build on industrial, that way a future owner has more flexibility)

Thanks in advance! And of course, highly interested in any recommendations y’all have!

2

has anyone gone the route of getting land a bit outside of town for fewer restrictions, then running utilities later?

I’m looking into some areas with less zoning hassle, but curious how others handled things like septic, electric, and road access before building. Costs add up quick, and I’d love to hear how others budgeted or phased it out.

3

I ran into zoning and permitting headaches in my area too, so I ended up connecting with a guy who had experience with San Jose property management. He helped me sort out some stuff I didn’t even think about, like setbacks and parking requirements. If you’re still figuring out your layout or how much land you really need, reaching out to someone like that could save a ton of time.