Chapter 8.288 — MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PRE-APPLICATION PROCEDURES.

The purpose of the pre-application procedures process is to foster early public involvement and input on major development projects and, to the extent feasible, resolve potential issues before the formal County review process begins.

A proposal shall comply with the pre-application procedures described in Sections 8.288.010-8.288.040, if the proposal requires consideration at a public hearing, and involves:

• (a) Major subdivision, i.e., a proposal to create five (5) or more new parcels,

• (b) Lot line adjustment that reconfigures at least five (5) or more existing parcels,

• (c) Residential development involving ten (10) or more new dwelling units,

• (d) Visitor-serving development (e.g., hotels, hostelries, restaurants) involving or requiring:

  • (1) Ten (10) or more new hotel or hostelry lodging units, or

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

• (2) Sixty (60) or more new restaurant and/or bar area seats, or

• (3) Two (2) or more density credits (rural Coastal Zone only),

• (e) Institutional development, including, but not limited to, educational, religious, cultural, health care or community care facilities that would typically result in forty (40) or more people congregating on the property at any one time,

• (f) Any development proposal involving more than ten thousand (10,000) square feet of new structural floor area,

• (g) Any development proposal which, in the opinion of the Director of Planning and Building, is similar in type and size as those projects in (a) - (f), and warrants early neighborhood input due to potential environmental impacts, or

• (h) Any General Plan or Local Coastal Program land use map amendment that would increase the allowable land use density or intensity.

A development permit application for a proposal involving one of the development types identified in Section 8.288.010 will not be deemed complete pursuant to the State Permit Streamlining Act (Government Code Section 65920 et seq.) if such proposal has not complied with the pre-application requirements of Sections 8.288.010 - 8.288.040

Prior to submitting a development permit application for a proposal involving one of the development types identified in Section 8.288.010, the applicant shall request an early assistance meeting with County planning staff to allow staff to explain the land use planning issues, policies, and process applicable to the proposed development.

The early assistance meeting required by this section is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061 (General Rule) and 15306 (Information Gathering), due to the fact that the required early assistance meeting is solely for information gathering purposes and has no potential for causing any effect on the environment.

The applicant shall provide staff with a preliminary plan and descriptive materials necessary to convey a general understanding of the tentative proposal.

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

The staff shall (a) acquaint the applicant with the significant land use planning issues, key general plan policies, and zoning and other development regulations applicable to the proposal, (b) suggest changes to the proposal that would result in better compliance with the County requirements, (c) describe any additional County expectations related to the proposal, (d) explain the permit review and decision process, and (e) describe applicable fees.

Within ten (10) days of the early assistance meeting, staff shall provide the applicant with a brief written summary of the key points discussed at the meeting.

After the early assistance meeting, but prior to submitting the required application forms and fees for the development permits for one of the development types identified in Section 8.288.010 the applicant shall request, in writing, that staff sponsor a pre-application public workshop.

The public workshop is intended to allow community members and public agency representatives the opportunity to provide the applicant with project input before the preparation of final development plans. Similar to the “scoping” function (CEQA Guidelines Section 15083), the public workshop may result in pre-application project modifications, and solve problems that would otherwise arise in more serious forms later in the review process.

The public workshop is for informational purposes only and shall not confer or imply any approval or rejection of the proposed project by the County of San Mateo.

The public workshop required by this section is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061 (General Rule) and 15306 (Information Gathering), due to the fact that the required public workshop is solely for information gathering purposes and has no potential for causing any effect on the environment.

When requesting a pre-application public workshop, the applicant shall provide staff with the following materials which would convey a preliminary description of the tentative proposal:

• (a) A Vicinity Map, to scale, showing the area surrounding the proposed development site, including all existing development located 500 feet beyond the site boundary.

• (b) A Natural Setting Map, to scale, showing the location of existing environmental conditions on the development site, including the following features as applicable:

  • (1) Topography (elevations, slope contours).

  • (2) Drainage (perennial/intermittent creeks or streams).

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

• (3) Vegetative cover (amount and type of predominant trees and plants).

• (4) Sensitive habitats (wetlands, riparian corridors, and endangered species as defined in the General Plan).

• (5) Geological hazards (earthquake faults, landslide susceptibility areas).

• (6) Scenic features (scenic road view corridors, public view sheds).

• (c) A Site Plan, to scale, showing the location of the following existing and proposed features, as applicable:

  • (1) Parcel boundaries.

  • (2) Land uses and other site activities (including approximate area covered).

  • (3) Buildings and structures (including approximate dimensions/square footage).

  • (4) Circulation areas (roads, streets, driveways, sidewalks, foot paths).

  • (5) Parking and loading areas.

  • (6) Utility easements.

  • (7) Landscape, open space and recreation areas (including major landscape features).

• (d) Elevations showing the front, rear and side view of proposed buildings and significant structures to illustrate approximate building scale and character.

• (e) An explanation of the intensity of all proposed land uses and activities on the site, e.g., number of people or vehicles on the site at full utilization.

• (f) An explanation of the sequence or phasing of the proposed development.

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

• (g) A completed Environmental Information Form (to be submitted for project description, rather than CEQA compliance purposes).

• (h) Fee for Major Development Pre-application Procedure, as set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

Staff shall schedule the public workshop to be held in the evening at a location in or near the community where the development is proposed. At least fifteen (15) calendar days before the event, staff shall send a written notice announcing the workshop to the following persons or groups:

• (a) All property owners within five hundred (500) feet of the project site boundary.

• (b) All recognized community advisory organizations, including established community councils, advisory committees, homeowner, property owner or business associations with jurisdiction or membership in the notification area in (a), above.

• (c) All persons who have requested to receive a notice of such workshops, a list of which shall be maintained by the Planning Commission Secretary.

• (d) All public agencies that may be affected by or have an interest in the proposed development, including utility and service providers.

• (e) The members of the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

Written notice of the public workshop shall contain at least the following information:

• (a) The date, time and place of the public workshop.

• (b) The name and mailing address of the applicant and owner of the property where the development is proposed.

• (c) The location of the project.

• (d) A short, general description of the preliminary development proposal, with an emphasis on the types of land uses and structures that would result.

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

• (e) The name and phone number of the staff planner to contact in order to request a copy of the maps, plans, elevations and other descriptive materials submitted by the applicant for the pre-application workshop.

Staff shall conduct the public workshop which would observe the following format:

• (a) Staff presentation of: (1) the purpose of the public workshop, (2) a brief summary description of the preliminary development proposal, (3) the basic general plan, zoning and other development provisions applicable to the proposal, (4) the next steps in the development review process, and (5) introduce the applicant.

• (b) Applicant presentation of a more detailed description of the preliminary development proposal, with an emphasis on potential community impacts and how these will be mitigated.

• (c) Public input to present any comments, questions and suggestions it may have regarding the proposal, including comments related to potential project impacts and suggestions for project revisions to address them.

• (d) The applicant may respond to the comments, questions or suggestions posed in the manner of their choosing, including: (1) by providing an oral response to a question at the workshop or subsequently in writing, (2) by incorporating a comment or suggestion into the project design, or (3) by providing no formal response, but recognizing that the comment, question or suggestion was offered in the spirit of advisement, and could resurface during subsequent review, public hearings and deliberations by County decision makers.

• (e) Staff will record all comments, questions or suggestions posed by the public, and may incorporate them in the final development permit staff report. The complete list of comments, questions or suggestions shall be available to any interested party.

• (f) When the public workshop is complete, staff shall provide the applicant with a written statement of each planning permit that is required, including the relevant application materials.

Should the Director of Planning and Building determine that the proposal has significantly changed and is substantially different from that presented at the public workshop (other than to meet the concerns expressed), the Director of Planning and Building may require an additional public workshop.

Should more than two years lapse between the date of the public workshop and the date of submitting an application for development permits, and the Director of Planning and Building has determined that neighborhood composition has changed significantly enough to warrant another workshop, the Director of Planning and Building may require an additional public workshop.

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

The applicant may, at their option, convene additional public workshops to address community concerns prior to submitting permit applications. Staff should be informed of any additional workshops convened by the applicant.

(Prior code Sections 6415.0-6415.4 - Added by Ordinance No. 3871 - January 19, 1999)