San Diego Municipal Code Div. 1 Adoption And Amendment Procedures for Land Use Plans

The purpose of these procedures is to standardize the review process for the adoption of new land use plans and the privately or publicly initiated amendment of adopted land use plans. (Added 12-9-1997 by O-18451 N.S.; effective 1-1-2000.)

Any planning or development proposal that would require adoption or amendment of a land use plan shall be reviewed in accordance with this division. (Added 12-9-1997 by O-18451 N.S.; effective 1-1-2000.)

(a) Land use plans and land use plan amendments shall be initiated in accordance with the General Plan Land Use Element.

(b) Once initiated in accordance with Section 122.0105(a), a decision on a land
use plan or a land use plan amendment shall be made in accordance with
Process Five.

(c) The City Council may make a minor change to a proposed land use plan
during the public hearing.

(d) The City Council shall refer any material change to a proposed land use plan
to the Planning Commission for its recommendation. The failure of the
Planning Commission to provide a recommendation on the material change
within 45 calendar days of the date of the conclusion of the Commission
hearing shall be deemed a recommendation for approval.
(Added 12-9-1997 by O-18451 N.S.; effective 1-1-2000.)
(Amended 6-18-2013 by O-20261 N.S.; effective 7-19-2013.)

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San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 12: Land Development Reviews (10-2024)

(a) Any new land use plan or amendment to an applicable land use plan that applies to property in the Coastal Overlay Zone constitutes an amendment to the Local Coastal Program.

(b) Notice of availability. At least 6 weeks before the City Council hearing to
approve or deny an amendment to the Local Coastal Program, the City
Manager shall distribute a notice of availability in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the California Coastal Act and Guidelines and shall
make available to the public a review draft of the amendment language.

(c) Certification of Local Coastal Program Amendments. An amendment to the
City’s Local Coastal Program must be certified by the California Coastal
Commission in accordance with Coastal Commission regulations. If the
Coastal Commission certifies the amendment with modifications, the City
Council shall conduct a public hearing, noticed in accordance with Sections
112.0301(c) and 112.0305, to consider the modifications, no later than 6
months after the Coastal Commission action.
(Added 12-9-1997 by O-18451 N.S.; effective 1-1-2000.)

(a) Specific plans adopted on or after January 1, 2000 shall be prepared pursuant to the California Government Code.

(b) The specific plan shall include the required contents listed in California
Government Code Section 65451. The required contents shall be formulated
into a policy element and a regulatory element. The policy element shall
contain detailed land use policies for the area covered by the specific plan and
the decision process and permit type for subsequent development proposals
that will implement the specific plan. The specific plan shall not establish new
decision processes or permit types, but shall use the decision process
established in Chapter 11 and the permit types described in Chapter 12. The
zoning regulations shall consist of either:

(1) Application of existing base zones of Chapter 13; or

(2) Proposed base zones that shall be adopted into Chapter 13 as well as
applied to the area covered by the specific plan. These zones shall
become base zones that could be applied to other property in the City.

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San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 12: Land Development Reviews (10-2024)

(c) Zoning or rezoning to implement the specific plan shall be adopted by
ordinance of the City Council.

(d) The specific plan may include supplemental development regulations that are
tailored to specific sites located within the specific plan area. The intent of
supplemental development regulations is to ensure that development proposals
are reviewed for consistency with the use and development criteria that have
been adopted as part of the specific plan. If there is a conflict between the
supplemental development regulations and the base zone regulations, the
specific plan regulations shall apply.
(“Adoption and Amendment of Specific Plans” added 12-9-1997 by O-18451 N.S.;
effective 1-1-2000.)
(Retitled to “Required Contents of Specific Plans” and amended 6-18-2013 by
O-20261 N.S.; effective 7-19-2013.)
(Amended 7-22-2024 by O-21836 N.S.; effective 10-5-2024.)

[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-21836 N.S. will not apply within the
Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local
Coastal Program Amendment.
Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language
http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-21836-SO.pdf

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San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 12: Land Development Reviews (1-2016)