This division shall be known as the General Plan Amendment Ordinance of the City.
(Ord. 1972, Repealed and Replaced, 02/22/2022)
The General Plan serves as the long range master plan guiding the direction of development within the community. As conditions within the City change, it may become necessary to amend or update the General Plan to ensure its effectiveness. This division establishes the minimum standards for processing applications to amend the General Plan. However, the Director of Community Development may determine that significantly complex projects, such as a General Plan update, require a greater level of review, and may provide for additional notice or public participation beyond the provisions of this division.
The regulations of this chapter are established to achieve the following:
A. 
To comply with the requirements of the California Government Code as they pertain to planning, zoning, and development;
B. 
To establish the procedures for the review and processing of applications to amend the General Plan;
C. 
To ensure that the General Plan is internally consistent; and
D. 
To ensure that the General Plan remains an effective, timely guide for orderly growth and development, the preservation of open space land, and the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.
(Ord. 1972, Repealed and Replaced, 02/22/2022)
This division is intended to supplement the California Planning and Zoning Law, Division 1 of Title 7 of the California Government Code, regulating the processing, review, and adoption of General Plans, updates, and amendments. Where this division establishes more restrictive objectives and procedures that are unique to the City and are consistent with the California Government Code, the more restrictive procedures shall apply. Any revision to Division 1 of Title 7 of the California Government Code that is applicable to this division, shall automatically be incorporated by reference into this division; provided, that the revisions are not less restrictive than those required by the City.
(Ord. 1972, Repealed and Replaced, 02/22/2022)
Amendments to the General Plan may be initiated by the City Council at the City Council's discretion through a specific action, through the adoption of the City's operating budget, or through any other form of City Council direction. Requests to initiate a General Plan amendment may be made as follows:
A. 
City-Initiated Projects.
1. 
The Planning Commission may request that the City Council initiate an amendment; and/or
2. 
The Director of Community Development may request that the City Council initiate an amendment for City-sponsored projects.
B. 
Non-City-Initiated Projects.
1. 
An application for a project that is not City-initiated may be submitted within one of the designated application periods, as described in Section 14.04.020.010; and
2. 
The City Council shall have the discretion to initiate a General Plan amendment for a non-City-related project during a time other than one of the designated application periods, as described in Section 14.04.020.010.A, when the City Council finds that the project will result in a community-wide benefit or when the amendment is necessary to deal with a unique or unforeseen circumstance.
C. 
Requests for non-City-initiated amendments shall be reviewed and processed as follows:
1. 
Any interested party may submit an application for a General Plan amendment in accordance with the provisions of this division.
2. 
Such applications shall be reviewed by the City Council. The City Council may initiate the amendment and direct staff to proceed with processing the application.
3. 
The City Council may decline to initiate the application for reasons which may include the following:
a. 
The amendment is substantially inconsistent with City policies or standards; and
b. 
Staff resources are not available at the time to provide for processing of the application due to priorities or staff commitments established through a City-adopted work program.
4. 
A determination by the City Council to initiate an application shall not be considered an indication that the amendment either will be recommended for approval or will be approved.
(Ord. 1972, Repealed and Replaced, 02/22/2022)
A. 
Except as otherwise provided in Division 1 of Title 7 of the California Government Code, no mandatory element of the General Plan shall be amended more than four times per calendar year.
B. 
Several applications affecting the same mandatory element may be grouped together as components of the same amendment. Each amendment may include more than one change to the General Plan. Such components shall be considered one amendment provided the City Council, when taking an action, considers each component during one public hearing and takes one action on the amendments as a whole.
(Ord. 1972, Repealed and Replaced, 02/22/2022)