Article 2 — Applications

All applications for permits, design review, conditional use permits, variances or other approvals, as required by this article, shall be filed with the Community Development Department upon a form prescribed and furnished by the Community Development Director. The application shall contain a description of the property involved sufficient to identify it precisely, its street address, if any, a statement of all facts upon which the applicant relies if such is required, a statement of or reference to the reasons for the filing of the application, and a specific reference to the law, and section thereof, to which the application pertains. The application shall include a statement indicating whether the proposed project is located on a site which is included on any of the lists specified in Government Code Section 65962.5 relating to hazardous waste. Each application shall be verified by the owner or the owner's authorized agent or lessee of the property involved. (§5, Ord. 2106, eff. 1/6/12; §4, Ord. 2239, eff. 7/5/24)

The fee for filing of all applications and appeals listed in this chapter shall be as adopted by resolution of the City Council. For those applications which are not processed with a fixed fee, a Statement of Understanding is required to be submitted with the application indicating that the applicant is filing an initial deposit. If the final costs are more than the deposit, the applicant will be billed for the additional charges. If the final costs are less than the deposit, the unused portion of the deposit will be returned. No part of any fixed fee shall be returnable, even though the application may be withdrawn.

Each application for a reasonable accommodation shall be accompanied by the information required by Section 10-2.4.1602. Each application for a community benefit agreement shall be accompanied by the information required by Section 10-2.4.1703. Any other application required by this article shall be in a form and manner on file with the Community Development Department, and accompanied by copies in a quantity as required by the Community Development Director of site plans, diagrams or other drawings, photographs or other pictorial presentation as may be necessary. Site plans shall be drawn to scale of an adequate size and shall indicate clearly and with full dimensions the following data where applicable:

A. Exterior boundary lines of the property indicating easements, dimensions and lot size.

B. All adjacent streets or rights-of-way, including bicycle, equestrian and hiking trails.

C. Location, elevations, size, height, dimensions, materials, colors, and proposed use of all buildings and structures (including walls, fences, signs, lighting and hooding devices) existing and intended to remain on the site.

D. Distances between all structures and between all property lines or easements and structures.

E. Any nearby buildings which are relevant to this application.

F. All existing trees (as defined in Section 3-8.02) on the site, giving type and location and any other significant plant material, with a notation as to those that are to be retained and those that are to be removed.

G. Any existing significant natural features such as rock outcroppings, highly protected trees, creeks, knolls and ridgelines.

H. Location, number of spaces, and dimensions of off-street parking spaces, loading docks, and maneuvering areas; indicate internal circulation.

I. Pedestrian, vehicular and service points of ingress and egress; driveway widths, and distances between driveways.

J. Proposed landscaping; include quantity, location, varieties and container size.

K. Proposed grading plan (for sites having over five (5) foot grade differential), showing existing and proposed contours, and the direction and path of drainage on, through and off the site; indicate any proposed drainage channels or facilities.

L. Required and existing street dedications and improvements such as sidewalks, curbing and pavement. Indicate widths, radii of curves, street grades and whether streets are public or private.

M. Other such data as may be required to permit the Planning Commission, the Zoning Administrator, or the Community Development Director to make the required findings for approval of the specific type of application and to permit an environmental review of the application.

N. Scale shown as "Scale: 1 inch = ____ feet" and north arrow.

O. Vicinity map indicating nearby cross streets in relation to site (need not be to scale). (§5, Ord. 2131, eff. 7/18/14; §13, Ord. 2209, eff. 3/19/21; §4, Ord. 2239, eff. 7/5/24)

Within thirty (30) days of receipt of an application, the Community Development Director shall review the application, determine whether the application is complete and send a written notice of such determination to the applicant. If the Community Development Director determines that the application is incomplete, the notice of determination shall specify the information necessary to make the application complete. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of additional submitted materials, the Community Development Director shall determine whether the application is then complete and send a written notice of such determination to the applicant. If following this additional submittal the Community Development Director has determined that the application is not complete, the applicant may appeal that determination to the Planning Commission by filing a written notice of appeal with the Community Development Director. The notice of appeal shall be filed within ten (10) days following the receipt of the written determination by the applicant. The Planning Commission shall issue a written determination on the appeal within sixty (60) days after receipt of the notice of appeal. The decision of the Planning Commission shall be final and shall not be appealable. Nothing in this section precludes an applicant and the City from mutually agreeing to an extension of any time limit provided by this section. (§18, Ord. 2209, eff. 3/19/21; §4, Ord. 2239, eff. 7/5/24)

Upon receipt of a complete application, the Community Development Director shall determine whether the project is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), or if an exemption is supported thereunder. If the project is subject to CEQA and an exemption is not supported, the Community Development Director shall cause an environmental review of the project to be conducted in accordance with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines adopted by the City. The applicant shall submit a fee in advance in an amount which will cover the cost of conducting the environmental review. (§4, Ord. 2239, eff. 7/5/24)

Upon determining that an application is complete and completion of any required environmental review, the Community Development Director shall schedule the application to be heard by the appropriate body, if a hearing is required. (§18, Ord. 2209, eff. 3/19/21; §4, Ord. 2239, eff. 7/5/24)