Chapter 17.148
PUBLIC NOTICE AND HEARINGS

Sections:

17.148.010    Purpose.

17.148.020    Notice of hearing.

17.148.030    Notice of pending action for minor use permits and minor design permits.

17.148.040    Notice for wireless communications facility applications.

17.148.050    Scheduling of hearing.

17.148.060    Hearing procedure.

17.148.070    Recommendations.

17.148.080    Decision and notice.

17.148.010 Purpose.

This chapter establishes procedures for public notices and hearings required by the zoning code. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.020 Notice of hearing.

When the zoning code requires a noticed public hearing, the city shall provide notice of the hearing as required by this section and by the California Government Code.

A. Content of Notice. Notice of a public hearing shall include all of the following information, as applicable:

1. Hearing Information. The date, time, and place of the hearing; the name of the hearing body; and the phone number, email address, and street address of the community development department where an interested person could call or visit to obtain additional information.

2. Project Information. The name of the applicant, the city’s file number assigned to the application, a general explanation of the matter to be considered, a general description of the location of the subject property, and any recommendation from a prior hearing body.

3. Statement on Environmental Document. A statement that the proposed project is determined to be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), or that a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report has been prepared for the project. The hearing notice shall state that the hearing body will consider approval of the CEQA determination or document prepared for the proposed project.

4. Zoning Map Amendments (Rezoning). Public notices posted on site for proposed zoning map amendments (rezoning) shall consist of the words “Notice of Proposed Change of Zone” printed in plain type with letters not less than one and one-half inches in height.

B. Method of Notice Distribution. Notice of a public hearing required by the zoning code shall be given at least ten calendar days before the hearing date in compliance with subsections (B)(1) through (5) of this section and as summarized in Table 17.148-1.

 

Table 17.148-1: Method of Notice Distribution 

Type of Permit or Approval Hearing

Mailed Notice

Printed Notice Posted at Site

Notice Published in Newspaper

Conceptual Review

Yes

300-foot radius for adjacent property owners

Yes

No

Design Permit and Appeal

Major Revocable Encroachment Permit and Appeal

Minor Modification and Appeal

Minor Design Permit Appeal

Minor Use Permit Appeal

Removal of Structure from Designated Historic Structure List

Sign Permit and Appeal

Historic Alteration Permit

Historic Resource Demolition Permit

Tenant Use Permit Appeal

Development Agreement

Yes

300-foot radius for adjacent property owners

Yes

Yes

Variance and Appeal

Conditional Use Permit and Appeal

Master Use Permit, Amendment, and Appeal

Condominium Conversion and Appeal

Subdivision and Appeal

Development Plans (PD Zones)

Zoning Code and Map Amendment

Determined by type of proposed amendment. See California Government Code.

Determined by type of proposed amendment. See California Government Code.

Yes

General Plan Amendment

Coastal Land Use Plan Amendment

Coastal Development Permit and Appeal

Yes

100-foot radius for adjacent property owners

Yes

Yes

Notice of Administrative Review for Minor Design Permit and Minor Use Permit

Yes

100-foot radius

Yes

No

Wireless Communications Facility Permits and Approvals

See Chapter 17.104 (Wireless Communications Facilities)

1. Newspaper Publication. Where required by Table 17.148-1, notice shall be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation at least ten calendar days before the hearing.

2. Mailing. Where required by Table 17.148-1, notice shall be mailed at least ten calendar days before the scheduled hearing to the following recipients:

a. Project Site Owners and the Applicant. The owners of the subject property or the owner’s authorized agent, and the applicant.

b. Adjacent Property Owners. For all hearings before the planning commission and appeals thereof with the exception of solely coastal development permits, the owners of the real property located within a radius of three hundred feet from the exterior boundaries of the subject property.

c. California Coastal Commission. For applications including a coastal development permit, a notice shall be mailed to the California Coastal Commission Central Coast office.

d. Local Agencies. Each local agency expected to provide roads, schools, sewerage, streets, water, or other essential facilities or services to the subject property, whose ability to provide those facilities and services may be significantly affected.

e. Persons Requesting Notice. Any person who has filed a written request for notice with the community development department.

f. Blind, Aged, and Disabled Communities. Whenever a hearing is held regarding a permit for a drive-through facility, or modification of an existing drive-through facility permit, notice procedures shall incorporate the blind, aged, and disabled communities in order to facilitate their participation.

g. Other Persons. Any other person whose property, in the judgment of the community development department, might be affected by the proposed project.

3. Alternative to Mailing. If the number of property owners to whom notice would be mailed in compliance with subsection (B)(2) of this section is more than one thousand, the community development department may choose to provide notice by placing a display advertisement of at least one-eighth page in one or more local newspapers of general circulation at least ten days prior to the hearing.

4. Posting. A printed notice shall be posted at the project site at least ten calendar days prior to the hearing.

5. Additional Notice. In addition to the types of notice required above, the community development department may provide additional notice as determined necessary or desirable.

6. Failure to Receive Notice. The validity of the hearing shall not be affected by the failure of any resident, property owner, or community member to receive a mailed notice. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.030 Notice of pending action for minor use permits and minor design permits.

A. For minor use permit and administrative design review applications, public notice of a pending action shall be mailed to the owners of the real property located within a radius of one hundred feet from the exterior boundaries of the subject property at least ten calendar days prior to the city taking action on the application.

B. In addition to information required by Section 17.148.020(A), the notice of a pending action shall state that the city is considering the application and that the community development director will hold a public hearing for the application only if a member of the public submits to the city a written request for a hearing within ten calendar days of the notice being sent.

C. If the city receives a request for a public hearing within ten calendar days of the notice being sent, the community development director shall hold a noticed public hearing on the application consistent with this chapter. Public notice of the requested public hearing will be mailed to the owners of real property located within a radius of one hundred feet from the exterior boundaries of the subject property.

D. If no request for a public hearing is received by the specified date, the community development director shall act on the application without a public hearing. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.040 Notice for wireless communications facility applications.

Public notice for wireless communications facility applications shall be given in accordance with Section 17.104.040(H) (Public Notice and Hearing). (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.050 Scheduling of hearing.

After the completion of any environmental document required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and a community development department staff report, a matter requiring a public hearing shall be scheduled on the next available agenda reserved for public hearings, but no sooner than any minimum time period established by state law. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.060 Hearing procedure.

A. General. Hearings shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the procedures adopted or endorsed by the hearing body and consistent with the open meeting requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act.

B. Time and Place of Hearing. A hearing shall be held at the date, time, and place for which notice was given, unless the required quorum of hearing body members is not present.

C. Continued Hearing. Any hearing may be continued without further public notice; provided, that the chair of the hearing body announces the date, time, and place to which the hearing will be continued before the adjournment or recess of the hearing.

D. Motion of Intent. The hearing body may announce a tentative decision, and defer action on a final decision until appropriate findings and conditions of approval have been prepared. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.070 Recommendations.

After a public hearing resulting in a recommendation to another hearing body, the recommendation shall be forwarded to the other hearing body. A copy of the staff report to the other hearing body with the recommendation shall be provided to applicant. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)

17.148.080 Decision and notice.

A. Date of Action. The hearing body shall take action on the matter being considered following the close of the public hearing. The hearing body shall also take action on projects within the following time frame as required by the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA):

1. Within sixty days of the date a negative declaration or mitigated negative declaration has been adopted for project approval, the city shall take action on the accompanying discretionary project.

2. Within one hundred eighty days from the date the decision-making authority certifies a final environmental impact report (EIR), the city shall take action on the accompanying discretionary project.

B. Decision.

1. The hearing body may announce and record its decision on the matter being considered at the conclusion of a scheduled hearing, or make a motion of intent and continue the matter to a later meeting agenda.

2. At the conclusion of a hearing conducted by the community development director, the community development director may choose to refer the matter to the planning commission for review and final decision. Referral to the planning commission may be chosen in cases of unusual public sensitivity, controversy, or complexity relating to the requested approval.

C. Notice of Decision.

1. If the review authority denies a permit, notice shall be mailed to the applicant and property owner the next day and shall include procedures for appeal, if applicable.

2. Following a final decision granting a permit and conclusion of the appeal period as described in Chapter 17.152, the community development department shall provide notice of the final action to the applicant and to any person who specifically requested notice of the final action.

a. Notice of an approved final action shall contain applicable findings, conditions of approval, reporting and monitoring requirements, and the expiration date of the permit.

b. Notice of final actions that include a coastal development permit that may be appealed to the California Coastal Commission will include notice that they are subject to an additional ten-working-day appeal period. (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)