SEC. 31.20. MULTIPLE ACTIONS ON PROJECTS.

(a) The concept of a project is broadly defined by CEQA so that multiple actions of the same or of different kinds may often constitute a single project. This concept of a project permits all the ramifications of a public action to be considered together, and avoids duplication of review.

(b) Early and timely evaluation of projects and preparation of EIRs shall be emphasized.

(c) Only one initial study, negative declaration or EIR shall be required for each project.

(d) For purposes of determining the appropriate time for evaluation of projects and preparation of EIRs pursuant to this Chapter, there shall be only one relevant decision by the City to carry out or approve, or not to carry out or approve, a project. However for other purposes there may be more than one determination by the same or separate boards, commissions and departments of the City, either discretionary or ministerial, affecting the carrying out or approval of the project. The authority and effectiveness of any other such determinations, including determinations by the Board of Appeals or any other appellate body, shall not be diminished by anything in this Chapter.

(e) Only one evaluation of a project or preparation of an EIR shall occur in cases in which both the City and one or more other public agencies are to carry out or approve a project. In such cases the evaluation or preparation is performed by the lead agency, which agency is selected by reference to criteria in CEQA.

(f) CEQA provides that a single initial study, negative declaration or EIR may be employed for more than one project, if all such projects are essentially the same in terms of environmental effects. Furthermore, an initial study, negative declaration or EIR prepared for an earlier project may be applied to a later project, if the circumstances of the projects are essentially the same.

(g) Reference is made in CEQA to simultaneous consideration of multiple and phased projects, related projects, cumulative effects of projects, projects elsewhere in the region, existing and planned projects.

(h) With respect to projects preceding CEQA, and projects for which evaluations and EIRs have already been completed, or on which substantial work has been performed, CEQA makes provision as to when, if at all, a new evaluation or EIR must be prepared. An effort shall be made, in preparation of evaluations and EIRs, to consider alternatives and thus avoid the need for such further review of the project.

(Added by Ord. 40-01, File No. 001007, App. 3/16/2001)

Editor's Note regarding Operative Date of Ord. 161-13:

Ordinance 161-13 amends sections of this Article, as shown in the history notes above. Section 6 of that ordinance provides as follows:

Operative Date. This ordinance shall become operative on the later date of September 1, 2013, or five business days after the Secretary of the Planning Commission provides a memorandum to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors advising that the Planning Commission has held a public hearing at which the Planning Department has demonstrated to the Planning Commission that it has updated its website to provide up-to-date information to the public about each CEQA exemption determination in a format searchable by location, such as through the "Active Permits In My Neighborhood" tool now used by the Planning Department and the Building Department.

At the direction of the Office of the City Attorney, the publisher incorporated the amendments made by Ord. 161-13 into this Code on September 25, 2013.