Zoning Map Amendments
- What
is a Zoning Map Amendment?
- What do I do
first?
- Who may file?
- What
do I need to do to file an application?
- Are
there any fees and what do they cover?
- What
is the process after an application is filed?
- Planning
Commission
- City Council
- What
happens if my project is denied?
- When
does
the approved Zoning Map Amendment become effective?
WHAT
IS A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT?
A Zoning Map Amendment is a procedure to amend the official zoning map
of the City by changing the boundaries of any zoning district. A zoning
boundary cannot be changed if it conflicts with the objectives and
policies of the General Plan, the blueprint for development in the
City. Information regarding the General Plan is available in the
Planning and Development Department, Community Planning Section at 175
North Garfield Avenue or by calling (626) 744-4206.
Zones, or zoning districts, provide the mechanism through which Zoning
Map Amendments can occur. They are established by the City through
adoption of the Zoning Ordinance to protect the public from harmful,
inappropriate or conflicting uses. Zones are designed to implement the
General Plan by ensuring those who live and work in the city that the
stability and character of the community will be preserved.
The General Plan provides for objectives and policies to ensure that
these goals will be met. In addition to regulating use of property, the
Zoning Ordinance also provides standards for building size and
setbacks, height of structures, density of population and lot area.
WHAT DO I
DO FIRST?
Consult the staff in the Community Planning Section if you are
interested in applying for a Planned Development District. A planner
will help you find out the zoning and General Plan designations of the
project site. You will be provided information on the City’s land use
regulations and objectives and policies of the General Plan. The
Planner will also help you understand the City’s review and approval
procedure, and assist you with the application process. The planner
will discuss the importance of meeting with the neighborhood that will
be affected by your proposal.
A meeting to discuss your project with the surrounding neighborhood is
required before you submit a formal application. You are encouraged to
seek comments from the residents and work with them to resolve any
conflicts on the design of your project, traffic, noise, use of the
site or any impacts specifically related to your project. The City’s
Neighborhood Connections office and the Community Planning Section can
provide you with further assistance to help you conduct and effective
meeting.
Unless otherwise waived, all applicants are requested to go through a
Pre-Development Plan Review (PPR). The primary purpose of this step is
to familiarize you with City regulations and concerns of City
departments. Zoning Map Amendments which are not accompanied by a
specific development project may not be required to go through CPR and
may be directly submitted to the Community Planning Section for
processing. Contact the Current Planning staff at 175 North Garfield
Avenue for further information about Pre-Development Plan Review.
WHO MAY FILE?
Any one of the following may file a Zoning Map Amendment:
- The property owner.
- The authorized agent in writing.
- The Planning Commission.
- The City Council.
WHAT
DO I NEED TO DO TO FILE AN APPLICATION?
You can obtain application forms from the Community Planning Section at
175 North Garfield Avenue, or by mail by calling (626) 744-4206. The
complete application submittal consists of the following:
- General Information Application and Supplemental Application
- Notification Materials
- Environmental Assessment Form.
- A map showing location, street address and the assessor's
parcel number of the property that is the subject of the amendment, and
surrounding properties within 300 feet of the project site.
- Minutes of the Pre-Development Plan Review meeting, or
proof of waiver.
ARE
THERE ANY FEES AND WHAT DO THEY COVER?
There is a flat fee to cover the cost of processing your application as
well as additional fees for environmental review. Depending on whether
or not your project needs a more extensive environmental review, there
may be additional fees. The fees are reviewed yearly and may be
adjusted by the City Council. Consult a planner in the Community
Planning Section for further details on specific application deposits
and fees.
WHAT
IS THE PROCESS AFTER MY APPLICATION IS FILED?
After we have received your application for a Zoning Map Amendment, the
Community Planning staff will determine if the application is complete.
Staff will complete the review of the application within 30 days after
you have filed the application. If your application is deemed
incomplete, staff will send a letter to you detailing a list of items
necessary to complete the application. Once your application is deemed
complete, you will be notified, and the Community Planning staff will
prepare the environmental review.
In addition to your discussing the project with the neighborhood, the
Community Planning Section will hold a neighborhood meeting on your
project after you file a formal application. This is to ensure that
issues important to the neighborhood have been identified and
addressed. If any unresolved new issues arise that need to be mediated
between you and the neighborhood, the Community Planning Section will
hold additional meetings.
Depending on the nature of your development project, additional reviews
may be necessary. If you are proposing a specific development project
to accompany your Zoning Map Amendment request, it may be required to
go through Design Review and/or Historic Preservation Review. See a
planner in Design & Historic Preservation at 175 North Garfield
Avenue.
Following the neighborhood meetings, a staff report is prepared on your
proposed Zoning Map Amendment, including a review of the required
environmental documentation; an analysis of the planning issues
including a discussion of the consistency of the project with
objectives and policies of the General Plan; the neighborhood meetings;
and a recommendation based on the staff analysis and public input.
PLANNING
COMMISSION HEARING
Once the report is completed, the Community Planning staff will notice
a public hearing before the Planning Commission. At the Planning
Commission hearing, the staff will make a brief presentation and then
you will be given an opportunity to comment on the project. An
opportunity will then be given to citizens to speak in favor or
opposition and/or simply comment on the project. Following this segment
of the public hearing, you will be offered a final opportunity to speak
to the Planning Commission.
At the conclusion of the hearing the Planning Commission can either
recommend approval of the proposed project, continue the project until
further information is presented, modify the project or deny the
project. In addition, the Planning Commission can modify the staff
recommendation on the proposed project. If the project is approved,
staff will schedule it for a noticed public hearing before the City
Council following the Planning Commission hearing.
CITY
COUNCIL HEARING
The City Council meeting will also be noticed. At the hearing, public
testimony will again be received in the same manner it was received
before the Planning Commission. At the conclusion of the public
hearing, the City Council will make the final decision on your project.
The City Council can either approve the project with or without
modifications, continue the project until further information is
presented, refer the project back to the Planning Commission for
further review, or deny the project.
WHAT
HAPPENS IF MY PROJECT IS DENIED?
If your project is denied by the Planning Commission, the Planning
Commission is the final decision making body unless the project is
"called up" for review by the City Council (PMC 17.104). If your
project is denied, no new application for the same or substantially the
same Zoning Map Amendment can be accepted within one year of the date
of denial (PMC 17.100.090).
WHEN
DOES THE APPROVED ZONING MAP AMENDMENT BECOME EFFECTIVE?
Zoning Map Amendments are adopted by Ordinance. The City Attorney will
prepare the Ordinance after the City Council takes action on the
proposed project. Then, the City Clerk will place the ordinance on the
City Council agenda for first and second reading. After the second
reading, the Ordinance is published in a newspaper of general
circulation and becomes effective 30 days following publication.