24.050 Site Plan and Architectural Review.

A. Purpose. The purpose of site plan and architectural review (SPAR) approval is to secure compliance with this

Zoning Ordinance and to promote the orderly and harmonious development of the City. It is the intent of this

section to achieve a satisfactory quality of design in individual buildings and sites, appropriateness of buildings to

their intended use, mitigate the environmental impacts of buildings and sites, and facilitate harmony between

developments and their surroundings. No City permit or license shall be issued for any of the following uses until

site plan and architectural approval has been granted:

1. Public buildings and grounds;

2. Public and private schools, colleges, libraries, art galleries and museums;

3. Public and private hospitals and other institutions;

4. Churches and other religious buildings and grounds;

5. Clubs, lodges, mortuaries, meeting halls, and other places of public assembly;

6. Motels and hotels;

7. OLce buildings;

8. All commercial and industrial uses;

9. Mobile home parks;

10. Parking lots;

11. Public utilities, structures and installations, except poles and towers carrying overhead lines;

12. More than one dwelling unit per lot except for accessory dwellings;

13. Subdivisions with Jve or more single household dwellings.

B. Administrative Site Plan and Architectural Review. The Director may grant administrative site plan and

architectural review approval for nonproduction residential units in approved subdivisions of Jve or more lots, all

residential developments of less than Jve units, and all minor additions or modiJcations to industrial, commercial

or oLce buildings, or may refer such development proposals to the Planning Commission. For purposes of this

section, the term “nonproduction residential units” means houses not substantially similar to other houses within

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view of one another as determined by the Director, or houses within a subdivision where the same Koor plan or

exterior design is used less than three times.

C. Investigation and Report. The Director shall determine from data submitted whether the proposed use will

meet the requirements of this chapter and shall either (1) administratively approve, disapprove, or approve with

modiJcations the subject application where appropriate; or (2) when in the Director’s sole discretion they deem it

necessary, prepare a report with recommendations and submit the report to the appropriate reviewing authority,

as described in Section 1.030.

D. Procedure. On matters to be reviewed by the Planning Commission, or when the Director refers an application

to the Planning Commission with recommendations, the applicant shall be so notiJed and a hearing date shall be

established. On the date of the hearing, the Planning Commission shall consider the Director’s report and any

additional staM comment and shall permit the applicant or any other aMected person to present any evidence

which the Planning Commission deems to be relevant. The Planning Commission shall approve, disapprove, or

approve with modiJcations applications for which the Planning Commission is the entitling body, or recommend

approval, disapproval, or approval with modiJcations or give other appropriate recommendation to the City

Council, concerning applications for which the Planning Commission is an advisory body.

E. Standards for Review of Applications. The appropriate reviewing authority shall review the exhibits, together

with the reports of the Director, and based on these documents, evidence submitted, comments from the

applicant and public, and the criteria set forth below, may, in the reviewing authority’s sound discretion based on

substantial evidence in the record and according to the Jndings of the reviewing authority listed in this provision

approve the application, approve the application with modiJcations, or disapprove the application. In taking action

on a site plan and architectural review application, the reviewing authority shall consider each of the following

criteria. An aLrmative Jnding for each of the following criteria, supported by substantial evidence in the record, is

required for approval of an application for site plan and architectural review:

1. The project uses quality materials and the overall design is harmonious and in proportion in itself and in

relation to adjacent development, based on the following:

a. The architectural style is appropriate for the project, and compatible with the character of the

neighborhood.

b. The siting of the structures on the property is appropriate for the site and as compared to the siting

of other structures in the neighborhood.

c. The size, location, design, color, number, lighting, and materials of all signs and outdoor advertising

structures is in accordance with all applicable requirements of this Zoning Ordinance and appropriate for

the site and compatible with the character of the neighborhood.

d. The bulk, height, and color of any proposed structure is appropriate for the site and as compared to

the bulk, height, and color of other structures in the neighborhood.

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2. Landscaping in accordance with applicable City standards and that is appropriate for the site and

compatible with the character of the neighborhood will be provided on the site. Existing trees shall be

preserved wherever possible, and shall not be removed unless approved by the Planning Commission.

3. Ingress, egress, internal circulation for bicycles and automobiles, oM-street automobile and bicycle

parking facilities and pedestrian ways are designed so as to promote safety and convenience and conform to

applicable City standards. Any plans pertaining to pedestrian, bicycle, or automobile circulation have been

routed to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee for review and approval or recommendation.

4. The design is of good character and has been prepared by a professional designer, such as an architect,

landscape architect or other practicing urban designer or person with equivalent skill and qualiJcations.

5. The application and the project for which it seeks approval are exempt from the California

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), or the environmental impacts of the project including impacts to or of

biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles travelled, land use, population and housing,

agriculture and forestry resources, cultural resources, hazards and hazardous materials, mineral resources,

public services, utilities and service systems, air quality, geology and soils, hydrology and water quality, noise,

and recreation are avoided, or are mitigated by conditions imposed by the reviewing authority so as to be less

than signiJcant, or are approved based on overriding considerations in accordance with all applicable CEQA

requirements.

6. The proposed structure and use, subject to any conditions which may apply, conforms with the

applicable requirements of this Zoning Ordinance and applicable policies and programs of the City’s General

Plan and any applicable speciJc plan, and the proposed use will not, under the circumstances of the

conditional use application, constitute a nuisance or be detrimental to the public welfare of the community.

F. Conditions. The reviewing authority may impose such requirements and conditions with respect to siting,

landscaping, architectural design, and other aspects of the proposed project as may be necessary and appropriate

for the protection of adjacent properties and the public interest to eMect the purposes of this section such that the

reviewing authority can make the Jndings speciJed in provision (E) of this section.

G. Revocation. Upon a permittee’s violation of any applicable provision of this Zoning Ordinance, or, upon a

permittee’s failure to comply with any terms or conditions of a SPAR approval, the Director may send the

permittee a certiJed letter informing the permittee of the facts constituting noncompliance and stating that the

applicant has 20 calendar days, or more at the discretion of the Director based on the scope of the violation, from

the date of the letter to comply with the requirements of this Zoning Ordinance and/or the terms and conditions

of the SPAR approval. If, after 20 calendar days have elapsed from the date of the notice, the permittee has failed

to cure the permittee’s noncompliance as required, the Director may send a second certiJed letter to the

permittee suspending the SPAR approval and advising the permittee of the applicant’s right to be heard by Jling

an appeal pursuant to Section 24.090. The suspension will be in eMect for 20 calendar days from the date of the

notice of suspension. If, after the 20-day suspension, the applicant still has not cured the permittee’s

noncompliance as required, or if the applicant has failed to Jle a timely appeal, the SPAR approval shall be

revoked and terminated and shall be null and void without further action by the City.

The Petaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance is current through Ordinance 2907, passed September 8, 2025.

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H. Appeal. Any determination made pursuant to this section may be appealed in accordance with Section 24.090.

I. Expiration of Approvals. Site plan and architectural review approval shall automatically expire 12 months after

approval unless the permit has been exercised, an extended expiration has been approved consistent with

provision (I) of this section, or unless an extension of time is approved in compliance with provision (J) of this

section. The approval shall not be deemed “exercised” until the permittee has commenced the approved use on

the site in compliance with the conditions of approval or an application for building permit has been submitted in

compliance with the conditions of approval. The approval shall remain valid after it has been exercised as long as

a building permit remains active or a Jnal building inspection or certiJcate of occupancy has been granted. Upon

expiration of site plan and architectural review approval, no further work shall be done on the site until a new

approval is Jrst granted.

J. Extended Expiration for Housing. An extended expiration of up to a maximum of four years may be approved

by the Planning Commission upon recommendation by the Director for housing projects that require additional

time to obtain regulatory permits, begin public improvements, or necessitate other signiJcant coordination prior

to commencement of vertical construction. Any extended expiration must be approved with the initial SPAR

permit and shall not be in addition to the 12-month expiration provided for in provision (I) of this section. Approval

of an extended expiration with the original SPAR permit precludes issuance of an extension of time pursuant to

provision (K) of this section unless the extended expiration is approved for less than four years. At no time shall

the SPAR expiration, inclusive of both the extended expiration and any applicable extensions, exceed a total of

four years, except for City projects in accordance with provision (K) of this section.

K. Extension of Time. Upon submittal of an application to the Community Development Department

(Department) on a form prescribed for this purpose by the Department, the Director may extend the time limit

established in provision (I) of this section for site plan and architectural review approval in accordance with the

following requirements:

1. The application Jled shall include a written request for an extension of time and shall be Jled at least 30

days prior to the expiration of the site plan and architectural review approval, together with the Jling fee

required by the City’s adopted fee schedule.

2. The Director shall determine whether the applicant has made a good faith eMort to exercise the

approval. The applicant shall provide substantial evidence that circumstances beyond the control of the

applicant have resulted in an inability to commence the use or apply for a building permit within the time

period in provision (I) of this section. For purposes of this provision only, such circumstances may include but

are not limited to Jnancial hardship, temporary delay or unavailability of funding, unanticipated delays in

securing necessary property rights for the project and/or unanticipated or abnormal weather conditions

suLcient to delay commencement or completion of construction or preconstruction activities.

3. The Director may grant up to three 12-month extensions to the expiration date of the original approval

only upon the Director’s determination separately for each extension that conditions of the site and in the

vicinity of the project are substantially the same as when the permit or approval was originally granted and/or

that any changes which have occurred do not aMect the validity of the Jndings for the original approval, that

the project remains in general conformance with the City’s General Plan and the requirements of this Zoning

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Ordinance and that the applicant has made a good faith eMort to exercise the approval. Only one 12-month

extension may be granted at a time. More than three extensions may be granted for City public facilities

projects.

L. Referral to Planning Commission. The Director may refer to the Planning Commission for a public hearing any

SPAR application.

M. Public Notice. Notice of both site plan and architectural review and administrative site plan and architectural

review will be in accordance with Section 24.100. (Ord. 2811 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2022.)