The purpose of design review is to:
A. 
Preserve the natural beauty and attractiveness of new development where it occurs;
B. 
Promote and, wherever possible, improve the appearance of the community;
C. 
Ensure that indiscriminate clearing of property is minimized and the destruction of trees and shrubs is also minimized;
D. 
Obtain the best possible traffic circulation within the community;
E. 
Ensure that the design and layout of new development projects are compatible with the Healdsburg General Plan, applicable sections of the Land Use Code and are in scale and character with surrounding land uses.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 2600), 1998)
Minor design review applications are approved by the planning director, or his/her designee, based upon compliance with the applicable Land Use Code standards and the adopted Citywide Design Guidelines. A determination letter shall be issued that identifies how the project's design meets the standards of the Land Use Code, the design guidelines, and findings for design review approval.
A. 
The following applications are minor design review applications, subject to review by the planning and building director. More complex or sensitive projects may be referred to the planning commission:
1. 
Minor changes to the exterior of existing nonresidential buildings that require a building permit. This includes, but is not limited to, significant facade changes, relocation of storefront doors and windows, etc.
2. 
A change of use in a nonresidential building and site not involving substantial site changes. This determination will be made at the time of business license application.
3. 
Changes to a nonresidential site not involving major structural or site changes or changes of use. This includes site alterations such as construction of parking shade structures or other accessory structures.
4. 
Construction of or an expansion greater than 500 square feet to a one-family dwelling on a site uphill and visible from a scenic highway or road, or located within a scenic ridgeline corridor designated by the General Plan as determined by the planning and building director.
5. 
Construction of one single-family dwelling within the Grove Street Neighborhood Plan.
6. 
Construction of new single-family dwellings where design review is required as a condition of approval of subdivision maps.
7. 
Within Character Area 1 (as identified in the Citywide Design Guidelines Chapter 4), construction of one single-family dwelling or a new second story addition, or significant change to the primary facade. A significant change to a primary facade is one that results in a substantive change to the appearance of the front of the building that is visible from the street. This could include enclosure of a front porch, removal of window(s), demolition of some or all of the primary facade, an addition to the primary facade, a change in roof form or other similar alterations that fundamentally change the appearance of the primary facade.
8. 
Small lot subdivisions pursuant to Section 20.20.040.
9. 
Projects subject to minor design review by any other provision of the Land Use Code.
B. 
The planning commission may approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for major design review. The following applications are major design review applications, subject to review by the planning commission at a public hearing:
1. 
Commercial, industrial, office and residential projects (two or more residential units per site) which involve the development of vacant land with site and building improvements or involving major changes or additions to a previously developed site. Examples of these types of development projects include new warehouse buildings, multifamily residential buildings, hotels, or major additions to existing structures.
2. 
Applications involving a change of use that requires substantial changes to a nonresidential site and proposals for exterior building modifications. An example of this type of project would include changing of a site from a warehouse to an outdoor storage yard.
3. 
Projects subject to development approval by the planning commission, such as subdivisions, use permits and projects requiring the approval of variances, that also include a design review permit. An example of this type of project would include a tentative subdivision map which includes a specific housing type as part of the application, a Residential Master Plan, or a residential visitor lodging operation that includes modification or addition to the structure.
4. 
Signs that are part of a larger project subject to design review by the planning commission. An example of this type of project would include a master sign program for a new multi-unit commercial building.
5. 
Projects subject to major design review by any other provision of the Land Use Code.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A §§ 2605, 2620, 2625), 1998; Ord. 987 § 2 (Exh. A § 1), 2002; Ord. 1172 § 2, 2018; Ord. 1256, 3/16/2026)
Application for any permit shall be made by the property owner or authorized agent, to the planning and building director on forms prescribed for this purpose, accompanied by the required deposit. The application shall provide any other information, plans and maps prescribed by the planning and building director as may be necessary for adequate review of the application.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 2610), 1998; Ord. 1172 § 2, 2018)
The City may obtain the advice of persons trained in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning to aid in its decision. The City Council may appoint to the planning commission one or more persons trained in one or more of these fields as regular or ex-officio members thereof, provided that the private practice or business of such member does not create an incompatibility between the private practice or business and the rendition of objective advice to the commission.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 2615), 1998)
In approving or conditionally approving an application for design review, the following findings shall be made by the planning and building director or the planning commission, as appropriate:
A. 
The proposed development or use is consistent with all applicable policies and requirements of the General Plan and Land Use Code.
B. 
The proposed design of the development or use, and all appurtenant structures, is consistent with the policies set forth in the Citywide Design Guidelines, as may be amended from time to time.
C. 
The proposed development or use is consistent with the purposes of the zoning district in which it is located.
D. 
The proposed development or use is consistent with all other conditions imposed by the planning commission or City Council with respect to any matter related to the purpose of design review.
E. 
For proposed developments or uses in the Central Healdsburg Avenue Plan area, the design of the development or use, and all appurtenant structures, is consistent with the policies set forth in Chapter IV, "Building Design Framework," of the Central Healdsburg Avenue Plan dated November 2013 and adopted by the Healdsburg City Council on January 21, 2014, as may be amended from time to time.
F. 
For proposed developments or uses in the North Entry Area Plan Overlay, the design of the development or use, and all appurtenant structures, is consistent with the goals, policies, objectives and design guidelines set forth in the North Entry Area Plan, as adopted by the Healdsburg City Council on May 20, 2019, as may be amended from time to time.
In the case of denial, the ground for denial shall be stated in writing.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 2630), 1998; Ord. 1138 § 3, 2014; Ord. 1172 § 2, 2018; Ord. 1190 § 12, 2019)
The following shall govern the date and term of design review approval:
A. 
Within five days following the date of a planning commission decision on a major design review permit application, the secretary shall transmit to the City Council written notice of the decision. Approval of a major design review permit application shall become effective 10 days following the date on which the design review permit was granted by the planning commission or on the day following the next meeting of the Council, whichever is later, unless the decision has been appealed to the Council.
B. 
Approval of a minor design review application becomes effective 10 days from the date of action by the planning and building director, unless the decision has been appealed to the planning commission.
C. 
Design review approval is granted for 24 months. If within 24 months after the effective date, a building permit has not been issued for the design review project or, where a building permit is not required, construction of the improvement(s) has not commenced, the approval will automatically expire.
D. 
A maximum of one 12-month extension may be granted by the planning and building department director. If no application for an extension of time is filed prior to the expiration date of the initial term of the approval or the previous extension, the design review approval shall lapse as of the expiration date.
In order to grant an extension, it must be found by the acting authority that there has been no change of circumstances that could prevent any of the required findings of approval to be made.
E. 
The term of design review approval may be made to be concurrent with the term of an associated tentative subdivision map, conditional use permit or variance at the discretion of the planning commission.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 2635), 1998; Ord. 1051 § 1, 2006; Ord. 1132 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1231 § 6, 2023)
Appeals of a planning and building director or planning commission decision on a design review application shall be handled as specified in HMC § 20.28.085.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A §§ 2620, 2625), 1998)
An applicant for a design review project may be allowed to submit a bond, letter of credit, or other form of financial guarantee in order to ensure that required conditions of approval would be fulfilled prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy or issuance of other final City approvals. Such bonding or other guarantee shall be approved by the planning and building director for required on-site improvements and the public works director for required off-site improvements with respect to the amount of bonding and the specific bonding or other instrument of guarantee.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 2640), 1998)