The City or an individual may wish to change a zone on a parcel of land. A proposed Zone Change must be consistent with the City's General Plan, in accordance with State law. In order to file a request for a Zone Change, applicants must complete the Legislative Application Form, submit all required materials, and pay the applicable fee(s). Review of the proposal will include a review and recommendation by the Planning Commission, and the City Council who will ultimately make the decision. In addition, another requirement of this application may be a Socio-Economic Cost/Benefit Analysis (prepared by staff) to evaluate the economic effects of the proposal. For further information, please refer to the Development Process webpage.
A Zone Change modifies the land use district of a specific parcel. Another type of change is to a development standard, an allowed use, or other text in the Municipal Code, and is referred to as an "Ordinance Text Amendment." This results in a change that code or development standard citywide for all parcels within that same zone. In addition to the Legislative Application and required fees, the applicant must submit in writing the proposed changes to the text of Title 18 (Zoning Regulations).
If a Zone Change or Ordinance Text Amendment is contemplated, it is recommended that a potential applicant meet with Planning Division staff early (prior to filing a formal application) to discuss the proposal. Go t the Contact Us page for further information.