Board approves submission-criteria updates despite concerns about developer burden
Summary
The board approved draft ordinance 270 changing submission criteria to require preliminary land-development information with many conditional-use applications; members debated whether that requirement would impose upfront cost and barriers for small developers versus providing needed information for effective conditions.
The Board of Supervisors approved a revision to submission criteria that generally requires applicants to submit preliminary land-development information when seeking conditional-use approvals.
Supporters and staff said the change provides enough information for evaluators to set appropriate conditions and avoid uncertainty when complex projects (for example, large data centers) are proposed. Staff said the requirement is intended to ensure reviewers see adequate preliminary materials "so that you have enough information that is fairly in the evaluator way," which helps clarify what conditions are appropriate.
Several board members raised concerns that the requirement could impose additional upfront costs on smaller developers. One committee member warned that it could "be a additional cost and fair barrier to entry for that developer," urging careful drafting and possible administrative fixes to avoid unnecessary burdens. Legal and planning staff clarified which code chapters the change affects and recommended refining language before final code conversion.
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