Santa Cruz Municipal Code Part 1 General Procedures

The provisions (text) of this title, or the zoning map, may be amended by the city council, by ordinance and according to the procedures established herein. All amendments to the zoning map shall be in conformance with the General Plan, Local Coastal Land Use Plan, any adopted area or specific plan, and other appropriate city policies. No amendments to maps covering the Coastal Zone or to text also contained in the Local Coastal Implementation Plan shall become effective until certified by the California Coastal Commission.

(Ord. 86-12 § 2 (part), 1986: Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

Amendments can be initiated by the city council, the planning commission, or the planning director. In the case of the zoning map, amendments can also be initiated by the owner or authorized agent of the owner of the property included in said proposed change.

(Ord. 2022-18 § 9, 2022; Ord. 86-12 § 2 (part), 1986: Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

1. A public hearing shall be held by the planning commission on all proposed amendments.

2. The planning commission shall forward a recommendation for approval or modified approval to the city council for final action.

3. Planning commission denial of any proposed amendment shall terminate the proceedings in the matter, unless an appeal is filed, or the application was initiated by the city council, in which case the planning commission action shall be a recommendation.

(Ord. 94-34 § 5, 1994: Ord. 86-12 § 2 (part), 1986: Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

Prior to making a recommendation for approval or modified approval of a proposed amendment to the city council, the commission shall first find that the public necessity, and the general community welfare, and good zoning practice shall be served and furthered; and that the proposed amendment is in general conformance with the principles, policies and land use designations set forth in the General Plan, Local Coastal Plan and any adopted area or specific plan.

(Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

Upon receipt of said planning commission recommendations, and prior to the adoption of any amendment, the city council shall hold a public hearing.

(Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

1. Nonsubstantive Changes. The council may modify any proposed amendment by making nonsubstantive changes in the wording of a proposed text amendment; or, in the case of a proposed zoning map amendment, by reducing the area involved, or by adopting a more restrictive zoning classification. Prior to taking such action, the council may refer the proposed change to the commission for report and recommendation. In such a case, the commission shall report back to the council within forty days after the date of council referral, or shall be deemed to have approved the proposed change.

2. Substantive Changes. Any substantive change proposed by city council must be referred back to the planning commission for a public hearing. In such a case, the commission shall report hack to the council within forty days after the date of council referral. Where action cannot be taken within forty days by the commission, a longer period of time may be requested and the council may grant an extension.

(Ord. 86-12 § 2 (part), 1986: Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

The General Plan may be amended by the city council according to procedures established for zoning text and map amendments set forth in Sections 24.06.020 through 24.06.070, inclusive, of this part.

1. Specific Plans. Specific plans shall be amended in the same manner as the Zoning Ordinance and General Plan, pursuant to Sections 24.06.020 through 24.06.070, inclusive, of this part.

(Ord. 85-05 § 1 (part), 1985).

So long as Ordinance 85-70 (adopted by a vote of the people on November 5, 1985) remains in effect, no zoning changes to accommodate on-shore support facilities for off-shore oil and gas drilling shall be enacted without a vote of the people of the city of Santa Cruz.

Similarly, pursuant to Ordinance No. 2026-13, no zoning changes to accommodate on-shore support facilities for deep-sea mining shall be enacted without a vote of the people of the city of Santa Cruz. The definitions contained in Section 24.06.093 shall apply to this section.

(Ord. 2026-12 § 2, 2026; Ord. 86-09 § 1, 1986).

The purpose of this section is to protect the city of Santa Cruz’s coastline, water, economy, local industries, including tourism, air quality, public access, recreation, biodiversity, and quality of life, and to further the city of Santa Cruz’s transition away from the direct and indirect effects of harmful extractive off-shore activities. As further specified in Ordinance No. 2026-13’s findings, the general welfare of the city of Santa Cruz is both directly and indirectly tied to the health and resiliency of the Pacific Ocean. These provisions continue the city’s long-standing practice of protecting the Pacific Ocean and its coastline as valuable public resources by ensuring that any legislative approvals (including, but not limited to, a zoning amendment, General Plan amendment, Local Coastal Program amendment, development plan, specific plan, or other legislative action) that allow on-shore support facilities for off-shore oil and gas development or deep-sea mining within the city only be allowed if they are approved by a simple majority (fifty percent plus one) of the voters in the city of Santa Cruz who cast ballots.

1. Definitions.

a. The term “on-shore support facility” means any new or expanded facilities within the city of Santa Cruz’s jurisdiction that support the exploration, development, production, storage, processing, or other activities related to off-shore fossil fuel, including oil and gas, energy resources development or deep-sea mining. “On-shore support facilities” include but are not limited to:

i. Transportation facilities: on-shore facilities and equipment for the purpose of transporting crude off-shore oil and gas or deep-sea minerals and slurry to and from processing and storage facilities, including pipelines, pipeline landfalls, pump stations, tankers, rail spurs, and trucking terminals.

ii. Storage facilities: on-shore facilities and equipment for the purpose of storing crude off-shore oil and gas or deep-sea minerals, including tank farms and slurry ponds, or storing chemicals, drilling muds, cuttings, produced waters, and/or other materials used in the course of drilling off-shore oil and gas wells, production, or in the processing of crude off-shore oil and gas.

iii. Processing facilities: on-shore facilities and equipment for the purpose of processing, distilling, converting, treating, blending, purifying, leaching, and/or refining crude off-shore oil and gas or deep-sea minerals, including refineries, gas plants, treatment tanks, tailing ponds, and distillation units.

iv. Waste disposal facilities: on-shore facilities, including tailing ponds and landfills, and equipment for the purpose of disposing of chemicals, drilling muds, cuttings, produced waters, tailings, dried wastes, and other toxic materials generated in the course of drilling off-shore oil and gas wells, production, or in the processing of off-shore oil and gas or deep-sea mineral products.

b. Exceptions. The term “on-shore support facilities” does not refer to:

i. Transportation, storage, processing, or waste disposal facilities or equipment that are not being used to support off-shore oil and gas development or deep-sea mining.

ii. Existing facilities that support on-shore or off-shore oil and gas development.

iii. Gas stations or power plants used to support off-shore oil and gas development and deep-sea mining.

c. The term “deep-sea mining” means the extraction of deep-sea mineral deposits, including, but not limited to, polymetallic nodules, ferromanganese crusts, and seafloor sulfides, from the ocean floor or seamounts at depths typically greater than two hundred meters, including in areas within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and beyond national jurisdiction.

d. The term “deep-sea minerals” means natural deposits of valuable minerals found in the ocean, including, but not limited to, metals and placer deposits of metals, nonmetallic minerals, gemstones, ores, gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, silica, chrome, platinum, tungsten, zirconium, titanium, garnet, and phosphorous.

e. Exceptions. The term “deep-sea minerals” does not refer to rock, gravel, sand, silt, oyster shells, or hydrocarbons.

2. Voter Approval for On-Shore Support Facilities. Any legislative approvals (to include, but not be limited to, a zoning amendment, General Plan amendment, Local Coastal Program amendment, development plan, specific plan, or other legislative action), including those that comply with existing city zoning laws or require a zoning change, authorizing or allowing the development, construction, opening, installation, or expansion of any on-shore support facility within the city of Santa Cruz, shall not be effective unless such authorization is approved by a simple majority (fifty percent plus one) of the voters in the city who cast ballots.

(Ord. 2026-12 § 3, 2026).