Rohnert Park Municipal Code § 17.06.210 General provisions

The Planned Development Zoning District is intended to accommodate a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial land uses, which are mutually-supportive and compatible with existing and proposed development on surrounding properties. P-D zoning districts shall encourage the use of flexible development standards designed to appropriately integrate a project into its natural and/or manmade setting and shall typically be intended for projects that provide for a mix of land uses to serve identified community needs. Furthermore, the P-D zoning process may be used to implement the various specific plans adopted by the city. Once established, the P-D zoning district becomes, in effect the zoning for the area within its respective boundaries.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

A. P-D zoning districts with commercial and/or industrial components may be established on a parcel or parcels of land having a contiguous area of at least three acres or, if in a M-U District, at least one and one-half acres. P-D zoning districts for residential developments may be established on a parcel or parcels of land having a contiguous area of at least one acre. Within a specific plan area, a P-D zoning district may be designated for properties totaling less than three acres in size, provided the district is consistent with the specific plan.

B. Each P-D zoning district shall include specific development standards designed for that particular district, including minimum lot sizes, setbacks and open space requirements, architectural and landscaping guidelines, and maximum building heights and lot coverage. In establishing these standards, the requirements for existing zoning and P-D zoning districts may be reviewed and modifications to these standards may be made as appropriate. Varying residential densities may be established for specific areas within each district. Once approved, as part of a final development plan (see Section 17.06.250), all standards, densities, and other requirements shall remain tied to that plan and to the property designated by that district, unless formally amended by city council action (see Section 17.06.280.) If no specific standards are proposed for any or all portions of a P-D district, the applicable general standards of the zoning ordinance shall apply.

C. A P-D zoning district may include a combination of residential, industrial, and commercial uses within either the same or adjacent buildings within the district, so long as such mixed uses are consistent with the general plan and any applicable specific plan. Industrial, commercial and residential components within the same P-D districts shall share a similar or compatible architectural theme and maximize pedestrian access between the two.

D. In situations where a subdivision of land (e.g., a tentative map) is undertaken in conjunction with the establishment or implementation of a P-D zoning district, such subdivisions shall be processed concurrently.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

Any and all uses otherwise permitted in the city of Rohnert Park may be included in a P-D zoning district, provided such uses are permitted or conditionally-permitted by the zoning ordinance and are shown on the approved final development plan for that district.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003)

All standards, requirements, densities, land use designations and other contents of an approved final development plan shall be consistent with the city's general plan and any applicable specific plan.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

Application for a P-D zoning district shall be made by a person, or the authorized agent of a person, having a legal or equitable interest in the affected property. In addition to the required application submittal forms available from the planning department and specified supporting materials including the fee pre scribed by the city council, the following shall also be required for all requests to establish a P-D zoning district and shall be submitted at the preliminary development plan and final development plan stages, as outlined in Section 17.06.250:

A. A listing of the development standards proposed for the P-D zoning district (e.g., setbacks, lot sizes, building heights);

B. A listing of the uses that will be permitted and/or conditionally-permitted in the P-D zoning district;

C. A phasing plan indicating the approximate date when construction of the first development phase of the P-D zoning district is scheduled to begin and tentative completion dates for the remaining phases.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

A. Preliminary Development Plan. In establishing a P-D district, a preliminary development plan shall be prepared for the proposed P-D zoning district.

1. Parks and Recreation Commission Recommendation. The preliminary development plan shall be submitted to the parks and recreation commission for a recommendation with regards to any proposed parkland dedication. The recommendation of the parks and recreation commission to the planning commission shall be based upon the criteria listed in Section 16.14.020(K)(1)(a) of this code.

2. Planning Commission Approval. The planning commission will hold a public hearing to consider the preliminary development plan, the recommendation of the parks and recreation commission with regard to any dedicated parkland, and whether the land uses proposed and their interrelationships are generally acceptable and consistent with the general plan and any applicable specific plan. The commission shall indicate conceptual approval or disapproval of the preliminary development plan. Such conceptual approval shall not bind the planning commission to approval of the final development plan, which shall be subject to environmental analysis and public hearings.

B. Final Development Plan. Once a preliminary development plan has been approved by the planning commission, a final development plan to rezone the property to P-D district may be submitted to the city. If subdivision within the district is necessary, then a tentative map may also be applied for at this time.

1. Parks and Recreation Commission Review. If any changes to dedicated parkland have been proposed since preliminary development plan approval, staff will schedule a public hearing before the parks and recreation commission after receipt of a complete application. The recommendation of the parks and recreation commission to the planning commission shall be based upon the criteria listed in Section 16.14.020(K)(1)(a) of this code.

2. Planning Commission Approval. Following appropriate environmental review of the plan, the planning commission shall consider the application for a final development plan at a public hearing. After the hearing, the planning commission shall forward any new recommendation of the parks and recreation commission with regard to any dedicated parkland. The planning commission will also make a recommendation to the city council based on a review of the environmental impacts of the plan, the appropriateness and interrelationships of the proposed uses, any effects on traffic circulation due to development of the plan, the quality of the suggested site plan design, consistency with the general plan and any applicable specific plan, and other details of the proposed district. A favorable recommendation must include the findings listed in this title for a final development plan (see Section 17.06.260).

3. City Council Approval. At the city council's public hearing, it may approve or deny the final development plan or return the matter to the planning commission for further evaluation. If the application for a final development plan is approved, the property shall be rezoned as a P-D zoning district and so indicated on the zoning map for the city.

C. A use permit shall be required prior to the construction of any phase of an approved P-D zoning district. A use permit for any or all phases of the development may be processed concurrently with the final development plan. It is the intent of the use permit to further clarify the details of the development phase being considered and to ensure that each component complies with the established provisions of the district. The use permit is intended to refine the final development plan and implement the conditions of approval attached to the final development plan. Use permit approval shall be required prior to final map recordation for all projects within a P-D zoning district.

The planning commission may grant a use permit, provided that the proposed development phase is in substantial conformance with any approved final development plan for that property and the conditions thereof. In approving a use permit for a phase of the P-D zoning district the planning commission may add conditions of approval, which are consistent with the intent and provisions of an approved P-D zoning district and help to implement that district. For P-D zoning districts containing commercial and/or industrial components, a Master Use Permit may be approved which will generally or specifically describe those tenants that may utilize those components.

(Ord. 787 § 4, 2007; Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

The planning commission shall recommend approval of a final development plan to the city council, provided the planning commission finds the following:

A. Each individual component of the development can exist as an independent unit capable of creating an environment of sustained desirability and stability, and the uses proposed will not be detrimental to present and potential surrounding uses but instead will have a beneficial effect which could not be achieved under another zoning district;

B. The streets and thoroughfares proposed meet the standards of the city and adequate infrastructure can be supplied to all phases of the development;

C. Any commercial component complements other uses in the development;

D. Any residential component will be in harmony with the character of the surrounding neighborhood and community and will result in densities within the P-D district that are no higher than that permitted by the general plan;

E. Any industrial component conforms to applicable desirable standards and will constitute an efficient, well-organized development with adequate provisions for railroad and/or truck access and necessary storage and will not adversely affect adjacent or surrounding development;

F. Any deviation from the standard zoning requirements is warranted by the design and additional amenities incorporated in the final development plan, which offer certain unusual redeeming features to compensate for any deviations that may be permitted;

G. The P-D zoning district is consistent with the general plan of the city and any applicable specific plan.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

A. A final development plan shall expire two years after date of approval or at an alternate time specified as a condition of approval, unless there has been any activity in that P-D zoning district (e.g., a use permit has been approved or a building permit issued for any development phase of the P-D zoning district) or an extension has been granted. Preliminary development plans shall expire one year after date of approval unless application for final development plan approval is submitted. If a final development plan expires and is not extended, the property shall revert to its prior zoning.

B. A final development plan approval may be extended by the planning commission for a two-year period at a noticed planning commission public hearing, if the findings required remain valid and application is made at least thirty days prior to expiration. The planning commission may modify the final development plan and/or add conditions of approval at this time based on this review.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)

A. A request for modifications to the conditions of approval for an approved final development plan shall be treated as a new application, unless the planning and community development director finds that the changes proposed do not involve substantial alterations or additions to the plan, and are consistent with the original approval and the general plan and any applicable specific plan.

B. If an application for a final development plan is denied, no new application for the same, or substantially the same, final development plan shall be filed within one year of the date of last denial, unless the denial was made without prejudice.

(Ord. 695 § 3, 2003; Ord. No. 897, (Exh. B), 4-12-2016)