This chapter establishes a process for consideration and review
of General Plan and Zoning Amendments. More specifically, the purpose
of this chapter is to:
A. Establish
procedures for making changes to the General Plan to address changes
in applicable law, to respond to external trends, or avert future
unintended consequences.
B. Establish
procedures for making changes to the text of this title or to the
Zoning Map whenever the public necessity, convenience, general welfare,
or good zoning practice justify such amendment, consistent with the
General Plan.
The procedures in this chapter shall apply to:
A. All
proposals to change the text of the General Plan or the maps that
illustrate the application of its provisions, and
B. All
proposals to change the text of this title or to revise a zoning district
classification or zoning district boundary line shown on the Zoning
Map.
Pre-application review pursuant to Section
30.205.030, Pre-Application Review, is required prior to submittal of an application of any property owner or authorized agent for initiation.
An application for an amendment to the General Plan, Zoning
Ordinance, or Zoning Map may be made by either the Planning Commission
or City Council upon its own motion, or the Planning Commission upon
the verified application of any property owner or authorized agent
and following a public hearing.
Applications for a General Plan or Zoning Ordinance or Map Amendment shall be accepted and processed pursuant to Chapter
30.205, Common Procedures, and the specific requirements of this chapter. In addition to any other application requirements, the application for a General Plan or Zoning Ordinance or Map Amendment shall include such additional information and supporting data as considered necessary to process the application.
A. Boundary Lines. At the time of any General Plan or Zoning
Map Amendment, the new or revised land use or zone boundary shall
correspond to lot lines as shown on the County of Santa Barbara Assessor
Parcel Maps, unless otherwise recommended by the Planning Commission.
Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, no mandatory
element of the General Plan can be amended more frequently than four
times during any calendar year. Subject to that limitation, an amendment
may be made at any time, as determined by the City Council. Each amendment
may include more than one change to the General Plan.
Public notice of hearings by the Planning Commission and the City Council for a General Plan or Zoning Amendment shall be given as specified in Chapter
30.205, Common Procedures. Notice of the hearing shall also be mailed or delivered at least 10 days before the hearing to any other local agency expected to provide essential facilities or services to the property that is the subject of the proposed amendment.
The Planning Commission shall not recommend and the City Council
shall not approve a Zoning Ordinance or Map Amendment unless the proposed
amendment is found to be consistent with the General Plan.
Following the City Council action, the City Clerk shall make
the documents amending the General Plan or Zoning Ordinance or Map,
including the maps and text, available for public inspection.
A. Upon
the effective date of amendment, boundaries of all areas subject to
a land use designation or zoning district revision, including areas
to be annexed to the City, shall be described and documented in one
or more of the following ways:
1. Metes and bounds (bearings and distances in feet) covering all courses
and distances around the boundaries of each area to be zoned or rezoned;
or
2. Where the proposed boundary lines are coincident with existing parcel
lines, the legal description of the property to be zoned or rezoned
may be done by referencing the current assessor's block and parcel
numbers; or
3. A combination of the above as determined by the Community Development
Director; or
4. When the preferred methods indicated above are determined to be impractical
by the Community Development Director, a map which is drawn to scale
may be used.
B. The
description of the subject boundary shall also include, but not be
limited to, references to contiguous lines of public alleys, public
streets, highways, freeways, and railroad property existing at the
time of said zoning or rezoning, as determined by the Community Development
Director.