Projects within designated hillside areas shall be subject to review and approval by the director or the commission in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
A. Director Approval. The director shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny development proposal applications when the following conditions apply:
1. Development plan permits;
2. Extensions of time; or
3. Building permit reviews.
B. Commission Approval. The commission shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny development proposal applications when one or more of the following conditions apply:
1. When padded building sites are proposed; or
2. Proposals referred to the commission by the director.
C. Modification of Requirements. The commission may modify or waive a development standard when an improved or more sensitive design will result. Further, where it can be demonstrated that imposing hillside development standards would either render a parcel unbuildable and create a loss of its reasonable economic use, or place an undue restriction on the improvement of the property, development consistent with the general plan shall be allowed subject to approval by the commission, if the following findings can be made:
a. The site is physically suitable for the design and siting of the proposed development. The proposed development will result in minimum disturbance of environmentally sensitive areas;
b. The grading proposed in connection with the development will not result in soil erosion, silting of lower slopes, flooding, severe scarring or other geological instability or fire hazard that would affect health, safety and general welfare as determined by the city engineer;
c. The proposed development retains the visual quality of the site, the aesthetic qualities of the area and the neighborhood characteristics by utilizing proper structural scale and character, varied architectural treatments, and appropriate plant materials; and
d. The proposed development is in conformance with the qualitative development standards and guidelines as established in this chapter and is conformance with the goals, objectives and policies of the general plan.
(Ord. 182 § 2 (part), 1997)