A. Staff review:
1. The applicant shall submit the specific plan and site analysis to the county planning division for review and comment.
2. The plan shall be reviewed as follows:
a. Planning staff shall review the documents and notify the applicant of their adequacy for commission public hearing and the determination regarding compliance with the comprehensive plan within thirty days of submittal.
b. If no changes have been recommended, planning staff shall schedule the plan for a public hearing. Comments on changes shall be returned within ten days of receipt of such changes.
3. When the specific plan request is scheduled for public hearing, the planning division shall prepare a report which, at a minimum:
b. Assesses the site analysis;
c. Analyzes the expected impact of the proposed development on the site and surroundings;
d. Contains a departmental recommendation to the commission;
e. Recommends (if necessary) special regulations for the proposed specific plan;
f. Includes the comments and conditions of other affected county departments and public agencies.
g. If applicable, evaluates the conformance of the specific plan request to the performance standards of Chapter 18.67 (Buffer Overylay Zone).
4. Availability of report: The staff report shall be available for public inspection fifteen days prior to the date of commission public hearing.
B. Public review and comment:
1. In accordance with Section 18.90.040B3, except that the applicant shall provide written proof of contact and offer of meeting to the planning department at least thirty days prior to the date of public hearing by the commission.
2. At the meeting, copies of the site analysis and proposed specific plan that have been accepted for public hearing shall be available and the applicant shall describe significant deviations by the specific plan from existing regulations and the proposed density transfer mechanism.
C. Study session: A planning and zoning commission study session for review of the specific plan may be scheduled after submittal of the specific plan. At the discretion of the chair of the commission, and after proper notice, the study session may be held at the specific plan site.
D. Public notice:
1. A minimum of fifteen days prior to the hearing, the planning division shall provide notice by:
a. Publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county seat; and
b. Posting of the property to be considered at the hearing; and
c. Mailing written notice to all property owners within the specific plan district and all property owners within six hundred feet of the district, except that notice shall be expanded to include owners of property within one thousand feet of the district if existing zoning of the district is RH, GR-1, SR or SR-2.
2. Expansion of notice: The commission may expand the notification area to greater than six hundred feet, which shall be noticed prior to a public hearing.
3. Failure to provide written notice to, or the omission of the name of, a property owner shall not invalidate an action of the commission.
4. When the area of the specific plan district is smaller than the area defined by the property line boundaries of parcels included in the specific plan, the notification area shall be measured from the property line boundaries, unless the planning official determines that it is not necessary for public awareness of the proposal.
E. Public hearing.
1. After proper public notice, the planning and zoning commission shall hold a public hearing on the application, at which all interested parties shall be heard.
2. The commission shall recommend regulations necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare, and may recommend regulations unique to the plan or special instructions for plan administration.
3. The commission shall vote by separate motion on specific plan regulations that supplement or supersede adopted county zoning regulations.
4. The commission may continue the public hearing, for a definite time not to exceed three months, on its own initiative or at the request of the applicant or affected property owners.
5. After the public hearing, the planning department shall transmit the findings and recommendations of the commission to the board of supervisors, except as provided in Section 18.90.060G.
6. The planning department may also transmit alternative recommendations when staff and commission opinions differ.
F. Department evaluation:
1. The planning department is authorized to evaluate recommendations of the commission when enforceability is uncertain.
2. If such evaluation results in, or implies, a change in intent, as determined by the commission legal advisor, the evaluation shall be submitted to the commission for its decision prior to transmittal of commission findings to the supervisors.
3. All evaluations shall be submitted to the commission for noticed public hearing at the next regular commission public meeting.
G. Limitations on application:
1. The applicant shall have three months from the date of final commission action to request a board of supervisors public hearing on the application. If a request is not submitted, the application shall be closed, due to lack of further action.
2. Upon written request to the planning director, a single thirty-day extension may be provided.
(Ord. 2017-3 § 5 (part), 2017; Ord. 2007-41 § 4, 2007; Ord. 1999-79 § 1 (part), 1999; Ord. 1998-51 § 4, 1998; Ord. 1998-39 § 3, 1998; Ord. 1995-94 § 2 (part), 1995; Ord. 1994-114 § 5 (part), 1994; Ord. 1994-11 § 2 (part), 1994; Ord. 1992-96 § 1 (part), 1992; Ord. 1987-64 § 1 (part), 1987)