Redwood City Municipal Code § 3.113 Review and Appeal Process for Permits and Sign-Related Decisions

A. Levels of Review: All matters of enforcement, interpretation and application of this Article, including all sign-related decisions, shall be made initially by the Director as an administrative matter, with no public hearing required. The Director's decision may be appealed to the Planning Commission for public hearing. The Planning Commission's decision is final as to the City, but may be subject to judicial review.

B. Rules of Decision: The Director shall approve all sign permit applications which fully comply with the requirements of this Article and all other applicable laws, rules, regulations and requirements. For any sign permit application which does not comply with this Article and all other applicable laws, the Director shall deny the application and give notice of such decision detailing the reasons for denial to the applicant not more than thirty (30) calendar days after the application is deemed complete. If such notice is not timely given, and the applicant does not waive time, then the application shall be deemed approved and the applicant shall be entitled to appeal the decision without paying the appeal fee.

C. Incomplete Applications: If the Director finds that any application for a sign permit is incomplete, the applicant shall be so notified not more than thirty (30) calendar days after the application is received. The notice shall detail all known points of incompleteness. The applicant may resubmit the application in complete form without paying the application fee again, one (1) time, within thirty (30) calendar days of when the notice of incompleteness is given. If the Director fails to provide notice of incompleteness within thirty (30) calendar days, then the application shall be deemed complete.

D. Perfecting Appeal: An appeal of a sign-related decision is effective when delivered to the City Clerk within the required time on a form prescribed by the Director, accompanied by any applicable appeal fee. The fee shall be in the amount set by the City Council. The notice of appeal shall be signed by the appellant, identifying the matter or decision appealed from and stating the grounds of appeal. All notices of appeal on all sign-related decisions must be filed with the City Clerk within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the Notice of decision.

E. Maintenance of Status Quo: While any sign-related decision is pending, the status quo shall be maintained until the review or appeal has run its full course, unless the subject sign is in such physical condition that it presents a serious and immediate threat to the public health and safety, in which case it may be abated as a public nuisance, pursuant to applicable law.

F. Hearing: Appeals shall be filed, processed and heard as set forth in Chapter 1 of this Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 2309, § 2, 5-7-07)

(Ord. No. 2374, § 2, 1-9-12)