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Draft zoning code would codify permit processing, add pre-application conferences and clarify deviation paths
Summary
Consultants described Part 2 of the draft zoning code as an effort to codify existing ministerial reviews (zoning clearances), create an optional pre-application conference, and formalize minor and major deviation processes plus reasonable accommodations required by state law.
The presenter walked the commission through Part 2 of the draft zoning code, which organizes entitlement provisions, clarifies who can submit applications and appeals, and codifies existing ministerial reviews such as a zoning clearance permit.
The presenter said the zoning clearance permit "is essentially the codification of a practice that currently exists" and is ministerial in nature; it would apply to new construction routed through planning staff and would not retroactively require existing uses to reapply. The draft also establishes an optional pre-application conference intended to give applicants a chance to meet planning staff before formal submittal and to reduce incomplete applications.
The draft introduces a minor-versus-major deviation structure: minor deviations could be granted by the planning director for changes that do not materially alter an approved land use, while major deviations would go to the planning commission. The presenter described a state-mandated reasonable accommodation process for disabilities alongside the local deviation tracks.
These changes are framed as clarity and transparency measures intended to give applicants predictable timelines and review authorities.
