Merced Municipal Code Ch. 20.64 Administrative Responsibility

This chapter describes the authority and responsibilities of the city council, planning commission, site plan review committee, and director of development services in the administration of the zoning ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2465, § 2(Exhs. A., B.), 9-19-2016)

The city council, the planning commission, the site plan review committee, and the director of development services shall function as the planning agency and as the advisory agency in compliance with Government Code Section 65100.

(Ord. No. 2465, § 2(Exhs. A., B.), 9-19-2016)

The role of the city council in the administration of the zoning ordinance includes:

A. Serving as the review authority on legislative actions as shown in Table 20.64-1; and,

B. Reviewing appeals filed from planning commission decisions.

Table 20.64-1 Review and Decision-Making Authority

Notes:

[1] "Recommend" means that the review authority makes a recommendation to a higher decision-making body; "Decision" means that the review authority makes the final decision on the matter; "Appeal" means that the review authority may consider and decide upon appeals to the decision of an earlier decision-making body.

[2] The director of development services may defer action and refer the request to the planning commission for consideration and final action.

(Ord. No. 2465, § 2(Exhs. A., B.), 9-19-2016)

The role of the planning commission in the administration of the zoning ordinance includes:

A. Serving as the review authority on permit and approval applications as shown in Table 20.64-1;

B. Reviewing appeals filed from site plan review committee decisions on site plan review permit applications;

C. Reviewing appeals filed from development services director decisions on discretionary permit applications;

D. Providing recommendations to the city council on legislative actions as shown in Table 20.64-1; and

E. All decisions or recommendations of the planning commission noted above shall require at least four (4) members of the planning commission to vote to approve such an action; otherwise, the action is deemed denied.

(Ord. No. 2465, § 2(Exhs. A., B.), 9-19-2016; Ord. No. 2523, § 7, 5-17-2021)

A. Membership.

1. The site plan review committee shall consist of three (3) members holding the positions of the chief building official, director of development services, and the city engineer or their respective designees.

2. In the event any of these positions are vacant for more than thirty (30) days, the city manager may designate another city employee as a temporary substitute during the vacancy.

B. Role. The role of the site plan review committee in the administration of the zoning ordinance includes:

1. Serving as the review authority on site plan review applications; and,

2. Referring action as needed on any Site Plan Review Permit to the Planning Commission for review and final decision.

(Ord. No. 2465, § 2(Exhs. A., B.), 9-19-2016)

The role of the director of development services in the administration of the zoning ordinance includes:

A. Serving as the review authority on permit and approval applications shown in Table 20.64-1;

B. Interpreting the zoning ordinance as specified in chapter 20.04 (interpretation of the zoning ordinance); and,

C. Referring action as needed on any permit, approval, or interpretation to the planning commission for review and final decision.

(Ord. No. 2465, § 2(Exhs. A., B.), 9-19-2016)