The Council shall prescribe by ordinance the procedures for the granting of variances subject to the following:
(a) Initial Hearing and Determination. All applications for variances shall be heard and determined by a Zoning Administrator except as otherwise provided in Section 564.
(b) Appeals Process. An aggrieved person may appeal a variance decision of the Zoning Administrator to the Area Planning Commission. The grant of a variance by the Area Planning Commission may be further appealed to the City Planning Commission or Council as prescribed by ordinance. There shall be no further appeal from the decision of the Area Planning Commission to deny a variance. However, that action of the Area Planning Commission is subject to Council review pursuant to Section 245.
(c) Findings for Granting a Variance. The following findings shall be made before a variance may be granted:
(1) that the strict application of the provisions of the zoning ordinance would result in practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships inconsistent with the general purposes and intent of the zoning regulations;
(2) that there are special circumstances applicable to the subject property such as size, shape, topography, location or surroundings that do not apply generally to other property in the same zone and vicinity;
(3) that the variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right or use generally possessed by other property in the same zone and vicinity but which, because of the special circumstances and practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships, is denied to the property in question;
(4) that the granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare, or injurious to the property or improvements in the same zone or vicinity in which the property is located; and
(5) that the granting of the variance will not adversely affect any element of the General Plan.
The grant of a variance may include conditions that will remedy a disparity of privileges and that are necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare and assure compliance with the objectives of the General Plan and the purpose and intent of the zoning ordinance. A variance shall not be used to grant a special privilege or to permit a use substantially inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the same zone and vicinity. The Zoning Administrator may deny a variance if the conditions creating the need for the variance were self-imposed.