Chapter 17.156 — POST-DECISION PROCEDURES

Capitola Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-07 · Capitola

Chapter 17.156
POST-DECISION PROCEDURES
Sections:
17.156.010 Purpose.
17.156.020 Issuance of permits.
17.156.030 City council decisions.
17.156.040 Effective date of decision.
17.156.050 Conformance to approved plans.
17.156.060 Performance guarantees.
17.156.070 Changes to an approved project.
17.156.080 Time limits and extensions.
17.156.090 Resubmittals.
17.156.100 Permits to run with the land.
17.156.110 Permit revocation.
17.156.010 Purpose.
This chapter establishes procedures and requirements that apply following a city decision on a permit required by the zoning code. (Ord.
1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.020 Issuance of permits.
Permits shall not be issued until the effective date; provided, that no appeal of the review authority’s decision has been filed in compliance with Chapter
17.152 (Appeals). (Ord.

1043 §
2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.030 City council decisions.
All decisions of the city council on appeals, legislative actions, and other matters are final and conclusive except for decisions which may be appealed to the Coastal Commission. (Ord.
1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.040 Effective date of decision.
A. City Council Decisions.
1. A decision of the city council on a project outside of the
coastal
zone is final and shall be effective on the date the decision is rendered.
2. A decision of the city council on a project within the
coastal zone that is not appealable to the Coastal Commission is final and shall be effective on the
date the Coastal Commission receives a notice of final
action consistent with Section
17.44.140 (Notice of final action).
3. A decision of the city council on a project within the
coastal zone that is appealable to the Coastal Commission is final and shall be effective after five p.m. on the tenth working day following the Coastal
Commission’s receipt of the notice of final action when no appeal of the decision has been filed with the Coastal Commission in compliance with Section
17.44.150 (Appeals).
B. Other Decisions. The decision of the
community development
director or planning commission is final and effective after five p.m. on the tenth day following the date the decision is rendered, when no
appeal of the decision has been filed in compliance with Chapter 17.152 (Appeals). (Ord.
1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.050 Conformance to approved plans.
A. Compliance. All work performed under an approved permit shall be in compliance with the approved drawings and plans and any conditions of approval imposed by the
review authority.
B. Changes. Changes to an approved project shall be submitted and processed in compliance with Section
17.156.070 (Changes to an approved project). (Ord.

1043 § 2 (Att.
2), 2020)
17.156.060 Performance guarantees.
A. Security Required. The
community development director may
require an
applicant to provide adequate security to guarantee the proper completion of any
approved work or compliance with any
conditions of approval.
B. Form of Security. The security shall be in the form of cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a performance bond executed by the
applicant and
a corporate surety authorized to do business in California and
approved by the city.
C. Amount of Security. The
community development director shall determine the amount of the security necessary up to one hundred fifty percent of project cost to ensure
proper completion of the approved
work or compliance with any conditions of approval.
D. Duration of Security. The security shall remain in effect until all work has been completed and conditions fulfilled to the satisfaction of the
community development director
or until a specified warranty
period has elapsed.
E. Release of Security. The security deposit shall be released upon completion of the approved work or compliance with any conditions of approval.
F. Failure to Comply.
1. Upon failure to complete any work or comply with conditions, the city may complete the work or fulfill the condition, and may collect from the
applicant or
surety all costs incurred, including
administrative, engineering, legal, and inspection costs.
2. Any unused portion of the security shall be refunded to the funding source. (Ord.
1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.070 Changes to an approved project.
An approved project shall be established only as approved by the
review authority,except when changes to the project are approved in compliance with this section.
A. Request for a Change. An
applicant shall request desired changes in writing, and shall submit appropriate supporting materials
and an explanation for the request.
B. Notice and Hearing. If the original approval required a noticed public hearing, a noticed public hearing is required for the requested change, except as allowed by subsection C of this section (Minor
Changes).
C. Minor Changes. The
community development director may authorize minor changes to an approved project if the changes comply with all
of the following criteria:
1. The requested changes are consistent with the zoning code.
2. The requested changes are consistent with the spirit and intent of the original approval.
Chapter 17.156
POST-DECISION PROCEDURES
3. The requested changes do not involve a feature of the project that was a basis for findings in a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report for the project.
4. The requested changes do not involve a feature of the project that was a basis for conditions of approval for the project.
5. The requested changes do not involve a feature of the project that was a specific consideration by the
review
authority in granting the approval. authority in granting the approval.
--- --- --- ---
6. The requested changes do not involve any expansion, intensification, or increase in size of the
land use or
structure.
7. The requested changes comply with the criteria above and involve a minor change to the project design that maintains the essential elements of the project as originally approved. Minor changes to a
project design include but are not limited to
modifications to:
a. The location, size, or design of a surface parking area if consistent with Chapter
17.76 (Parking and Loading).
b. The location or design of an
accessory structure one hundred twenty square feet and ten feet in
height or less.
c. The size, placement, or number of doors and windows provided the changes affect fewer than twenty-five percent of the structure’s doors and windows and no new privacy impacts would be created.
d. Materials affecting less than twenty-five percent of the
building facade provided the changes maintain the approved architectural style of the
structure.
e.
Fences and
walls if consistent with Chapter
17.60 (Fences and Walls).
f.
Landscaping if consistent with Chapter
17.72 (Landscaping).
g. Exterior lighting if consistent with Chapter
17.96 (Supplemental Standards).
h. Roof forms and materials provided there is no increase in
structure height.
i. Facade articulation such as porch columns, shutters, tile work, and other architectural details.
Modifications
that fundamentally alter the architectural style of a
structure are not considered a minor change.
j. The number, location, and size of
decks and patios provided no new noise or privacy impacts would be created.
k. The number, size, type, and location of skylights.
l. Other similar minor changes to project design as determined by the
community development director.(Ord.

1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.080 Time limits and extensions.
A. Expiration of Permit.
--- --- --- --- ---
1. A permit not exercised within two years shall expire and become void, except where:
a. The planning commission or city council establishes an alternative expiration date when initially approving the permit; or
b. An extension of time is approved as allowed by subsection C of this section (Extension of Time).
2. A permit shall expire and become void if the permitted
land use is abandoned or discontinued for one year or longer.
B. Exercised Defined. A permit or approval shall be considered exercised when:
1. A
building permit is issued and construction has commenced;
2. A certificate of occupancy is issued; or
3. The
land use is established.
C. Extension of Time. Extensions to a permit may be approved in the following manner:
1. Extensions to a permit may be approved by the
review authority which originally approved the permit.
2. In instances where the
community development director was the approval authority, the
community development director may choose to refer any action to extend a permit to the planning
commission for
review and final decision.
3. The
community development director may approve up to two two-year extensions (four years total) to a permit. The planning commission and city council may approve up to
two four-year extensions
(eight years total) to a permit. The
review authority may also approve an extension up to the expiration date of a valid tentative map as allowed by the Subdivision Map Act for projects involving a subdivision
of land if such an extension is necessary to prevent a substantial hardship for the project
applicant.
4. The
applicant shall submit to the community
development department a written request for an extension of time no later than ten days before
the expiration of the permit.
5. The
review authority may extend the permit if the
applicant has proceeded in good faith and has exercised due diligence in efforts to exercise the permit in a timely manner.
6. The burden of proof is on the
applicant to demonstrate that the permit should be extended. (Ord.
1066 § 2 (Att. 1), 2024; Ord.
1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
17.156.090 Resubmittals.
A. Resubmittals Prohibited. For a period of twelve months following the denial or revocation of a permit, the city shall not accept an application for the same or substantially similar permit for the same
site,
unless the denial or revocation was made without prejudice, and so stated in the record.
B. Determination. The
community development director shall determine whether the new application is for a permit which is the same or substantially similar to the previously
denied or revoked permit.
C. Appeal. The determination of the
community development director may be appealed to the planning commission, in compliance with Chapter

17.112 (Permit Application and
Review). (Ord.
1043 § 2
(Att.
2), 2020)
17.156.100 Permits to run with the land.
Permits issued in compliance with the zoning code remain valid upon change of ownership of the
site,
structure,or
land use that was the subject of the permit application. (Ord.

1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020)
Chapter 17.156
POST-DECISION PROCEDURES
17.156.110 Permit revocation.
Any discretionary permit may be revoked as provided for in this section.
A.
Review Authority.
1. A permit may be revoked by the
review authority which originally approved the permit.
2. In instances where the
community development director was the approval authority, the
community development director may choose to refer any action to revoke a permit to the planning
commission for
review and final decision.
B. Property Owner Notification. Prior to initiating proceedings to revoke a permit, the
community development director shall notify the property
owner of the permit violations, identify necessary corrections,
and establish a reasonable period within which the property owner shall correct the violations. If the property owner has not corrected the violation within the specified period of time, the city may proceed
with the process to revoke the permit.
C. Public Notice and Hearing. Public notice and hearing for any action to revoke a permit shall be provided in compliance with Chapter
17.148 (Public Notice and Hearings).
D. Findings. The
review authority may revoke a permit only if one or more of the following findings can be made:
1. The
applicant or property owner has altered the circumstances under which the permit was granted to a degree that one or more of the findings required to grant the original permit can no longer be made.
2. Permit issuance was based on misrepresentation by the
applicant,either through the omission of a material statement in the application, or in
public hearing testimony.
3. One or more conditions of approval have been violated, or have not been complied with or fulfilled.
4. The use or
structure for which the permit was granted no longer exists or has been discontinued for a continuous period of at least twelve months.
  1. The applicant or property owner has failed or refused to allow inspections for compliance.

  2. Improvements authorized by the permit are in violation of the zoning code or any law, ordinance, regulation, or statute.

  3. The use or structure is being operated or maintained in a manner which constitutes a nuisance.

E. Effect of Revocation. The revocation of a permit shall have the effect of terminating the approval and denying the privileges granted by the permit. F. Appeals. A decision on a permit revocation may be appealed in accordance with Chapter 17.152 (Appeals). (Ord. 1043 § 2 (Att. 2), 2020) Home Previous Next

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Part 5. Glossary

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