This section applies to all projects on residentially zoned property, or on property located adjacent to residentially zoned property which require a discretionary permit issued by the planning commission or city council. All projects for such a discretionary permit shall require a pre-application neighborhood meeting in compliance with the requirements set forth below. The purpose of the meeting is to provide for early input by affected neighbors. While neighborhood consensus or agreement is desirable, it is not a required outcome of the neighborhood meeting.
A. Timing. The neighborhood meeting should be held prior to the submission of an application for discretionary permit. If a neighborhood meeting is not held prior to submission of an application, the application shall not be considered complete until the meeting has been held. Meetings should be held during evening hours or on a weekend.
B. Notice. Notice of the time, date and location of the neighborhood meeting shall be given by the applicant to all property owners and occupants within 300 feet of the proposed project and to the department at least 10 calendar days prior to the date of the meeting. Mailing lists for such notice may be obtained from the department. Notice shall be deemed to have been given on the date it is has been mailed, first-class, postage prepaid, or personally delivered. The applicant shall provide the Department with a list of each person and property to which the notice is mailed.
C. Department attendance at meetings. A representative of the department may attend each neighborhood meeting in order to identify and explain city policies, including the provisions of the city’s general plan and land use regulations as they relate to the development proposal at issue. The representative of the department may serve as a moderator or facilitator of the meeting if so requested by the applicant and approved by the director.
D. Applicant attendance at meeting. The applicant or a representative shall attend the neighborhood meeting and provide the following information:
1. A site plan graphically depicting existing conditions and surrounding land uses and structures.
2. A conceptual site plan or map, as appropriate, for the proposed application.
Applicants are encouraged to take minutes or otherwise create a written record of the presentation and points discussed at the meeting.
E. Neighborhood or applicant comments and recommendations are not binding on the department. The department will consider neighborhood comments during its evaluation of the project applications along with all comments by other agencies, organizations and individuals in order to formulate its own independent and professional recommendation regarding the applications.
F. A meeting may be required pursuant to this section when it is not on or adjacent to residentially zoned property if the director determines that the proposed use(s) or building(s) are of such a nature that they would affect residentially zoned property which is not adjacent to the project.
G. Additional meetings are encouraged when significant changes are made to a project and the nature of those changes was not a topic at the neighborhood meeting initially held pursuant to this section.
H. Waiver of meeting. The requirement for a neighborhood meeting may be waived by the director if the position of the neighborhood is well-established and if recent contact indicates that there is no interest in holding a meeting.
(Ord. 2185; Ord. 2223, Ord. 2358 §3, Ord. 2374 §7, Ord. 2494, §3, Ord. 2850, §5; Ord. 2600)