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Sacramento Overview
Sacramento, CA Code of Ordinances
SACRAMENTO CITY CODE
CHARTER
Title 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL
Title 3 REVENUE AND FINANCE
Title 4 ETHICS AND OPEN GOVERNMENT
Title 5 BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
Title 6 (RESERVED)
Title 7 (RESERVED)
Title 8 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Title 9 PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND WELFARE
Title 10 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Title 11 (RESERVED)
Title 12 STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC PLACES
Title 13 PUBLIC SERVICES
Title 14 (RESERVED)
Title 15 BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION
Title 16 (Reserved)
Title 17 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CODE
Division I GENERAL PROVISIONS
Division II ZONING DISTRICTS AND LAND USE REGULATIONS
Division III OVERLAY ZONES
Division IV SPECIAL PLANNING DISTRICTS AND PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS
Division V INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT STANDARDS
Division VI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, DESIGN REVIEW DISTRICTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND REGISTERED HOUSE PLANS
Division VII CITY-WIDE PROGRAMS
Division VIII ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Chapter 17.800 APPLICATIONS AND FEES
Chapter 17.804 REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING AMENDMENTS ACT OF 1988 AND THE CALIFORNIA FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING ACT
Chapter 17.808 PERMITS AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGE REQUESTS
Chapter 17.810 FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT FINDINGS
Chapter 17.812 REVIEW PROCEDURES
Chapter 17.816 MAPS GENERALLY
Chapter 17.820 LOT LINE ADJUSTMENTS
Chapter 17.824 MERGER OF PARCELS
Chapter 17.828 TENTATIVE MAPS
Chapter 17.832 FINAL AND PARCEL MAPS
Chapter 17.836 MASTER PARCEL MAPS
Chapter 17.840 VESTING TENTATIVE MAPS
Chapter 17.842 TENTATIVE MAP DESIGN DEVIATION
Chapter 17.844 POST-TENTATIVE MAP DESIGN DEVIATION
Chapter 17.848 SURVEYS AND MONUMENTS
Chapter 17.852 IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND PERMITS
Chapter 17.856 REVERSION TO ACREAGE
Chapter 17.860 MINISTERIAL APPROVAL FOR INFILL HOUSING PROJECTS
Chapter 17.864 MINISTERIAL APPROVAL OF TWO DWELLING UNITS ON A LOT AND URBAN LOT SPLITS.
Chapter 17.876 LOW BARRIER NAVIGATION CENTERS
Chapter 17.880 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Division IX ADMINISTRATION OF GENERAL PLAN AND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CODE
Title 18 ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS
TABLES
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17.808.140   Director-level site plan and design review.
   A.   Site plan and design review at the director-level review is required for the following development projects:
      1.   A development not subject to commission-level review and that the director determines is not in substantial compliance with applicable design guidelines or that includes a deviation from design guidelines or development standards is subject to director-level review under section 17.808.120. A deviation that does not involve a distance, area, or quantity is subject to director-level review.
      2.   A development project involving a landmark or, contributing resource that is not subject to preservation commission review and that involves one or more of the following:
         a.   New construction of a building or structure on the site of an existing landmark or, contributing resource;
         b.   Additions of new porches, dormers, or new conditioned space on primary façades or affecting significant features or characteristics;
         c.   Alterations such as new openings in primary façades, raising the structure, partial demolitions, or other changes with the potential for having impacts on character-defining features of the property or district, or on existing original fabric; or
         d.   Demolition or relocation of accessory buildings and structures that are not identified as significant features or characteristics of the landmark or contributing resource.
      3.   When review of the project is elevated to the director level under section 17.808.300 or director-level review is otherwise required under this title.
   B.   Director-level site plan and design review is conducted by the preservation director if the development project is located in a historic district or involves a landmark. Otherwise, director-level site plan and design review is conducted by the design director. If the development project requires another discretionary permit under this title to be heard at the director level, the preservation director or design director shall conduct the hearing on the development project concurrently with the hearing conducted by the zoning administrator or planning director.
   C.   A director-level decision on site plan and design review application made by the preservation director is appealable to the preservation commission, and a director-level decision on site plan and design review application made by the design director is appealable to the planning and design commission, as provided in section 17.812.060. If the development project includes another discretionary permit under this title that is also being appealed, the preservation commission shall, at the conclusion of its hearing, forward a recommendation on site plan and design review to the planning and design commission, rather than take final action. (Ord. 2019-0057 § 2; Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)
17.808.150   Staff-level site plan and design review.
   A.   Site plan and design review at the staff-level is required for any development project that is not subject to director-level or commission-level review.
   B.   Staff-level site plan and design review is conducted under the general direction of the preservation director if the development project is located in a historic district or involves a landmark. Otherwise, staff-level site plan and design review is conducted under the general direction of the design director.
   C.   A staff-level decision is subject to reconsideration under section 17.812.020, and is not appealable. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)
17.808.160   Development exempt from site plan and design review.
The following development projects are exempt from the site plan and design review requirement:
   A.   For development projects that are not located in a historic district and do not involve a landmark:
      1.   An alteration to an existing building or structure that does not substantially alter the exterior appearance of the building or structure, as determined by the director;
      2.   An alteration to an existing site that does not significantly alter the functioning of the site with respect to traffic circulation, parking, infrastructure, and environmentally sensitive features, as determined by the director;
      3.   Accessory dwelling units that meet all development standards without deviation (Accessory dwelling units that do not meet development standards are subject to director-level review);
      4.   Sidewalk cafes;
      5.   Convenience recycling facilities;
      6.   Registered house plans (subject to site plan review, but not design review); and
      7.   Demolition of the following structures if less than 50 years old:
         a.   Accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit;
         b.   Residential accessory structure;
   B.   For development projects located in a historic district or that involve a landmark:
      1.   Repainting of surfaces that were originally painted and the color scheme is not a significant character-defining feature of the historic resource;
      2.   Routine nonabrasive cleaning and maintenance; and
      3.   Site plantings when plantings and landscape elements are not significant character-defining features of the historic resource.
   C.   Tentative maps and parcel maps that subdivide vacant land and meet all development standards without deviations.
   D.   Antennas that are reviewed or exempt from review under chapter 12.14.
   E.   Housing projects that are subject to ministerial review under another provision of this title.
   F.   Urban lot splits that are subject to ministerial review under chapter 17.864. (Ord. 2021-0035, § 4; Ord. 2021-0024 § 38; Ord. 2020-0031 § 3; Ord. 2019-0006 § 18; Ord. 2017-0061 § 88; Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)
17.808.170   Determination of level of review of site plan and design review.
   A.   Except as provided in subsection B of this section, the director shall determine whether an application for site plan and design review is subject to staff-level, director-level, or commission-level review. The determination of the director is final and is not subject to appeal.
   B.   For site plan and design review applications involving landmarks or contributing resources for which no significant features and characteristics have been identified, the preservation director shall identify the significant features and characteristics and determine whether the application is subject to staff-level, director-level, or commission-level review. The determination of the preservation director is final and is not subject to appeal. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)
17.808.180   Site plan and design review-Decision and findings.
   A.   Development projects located in a historic district or involving a landmark.
      1.   Projects not involving the demolition or relocation of a landmark or contributing resource. For projects not involving the demolition or relocation of a landmark or contributing resource, the decision-maker may approve an application for site plan and design review based on the following findings:
         a.   The project is consistent with the Secretary of Interior standards and the goals and policies of this chapter; or
         b.   The project is not fully consistent with the Secretary of Interior standards, due to economic hardship or economic infeasibility, but the project is generally consistent with, and supportive of, the goals and policies of this chapter. The applicant shall have the burden of proving economic hardship or economic infeasibility; or
         c.   The project is not fully consistent with the Secretary of Interior standards, but is consistent with and supportive of identified goals and policies of the general plan or applicable community or specific plan(s); and the project is either generally consistent with, and supportive of, the goals and policies of this chapter, or if not, the benefits of the project and furthering the identified goals and policies of the general plan or applicable community plan outweigh any impacts on achieving the goals and policies of this chapter.
      2.   Projects involving demolition or relocation of a landmark or contributing resource. For projects involving the demolition or relocation of a landmark or contributing resource, the decision-maker may approve an application for site plan and design review based on the following findings:
         a.   Based upon sufficient evidence, including evidence provided by the applicant, the property retains no reasonable economic use, taking into account the condition of the structure, its location, the current market value, the costs of rehabilitation to meet the requirements of the building code or other city, state, or federal law; or
         b.   That the demolition or relocation of the landmark or contributing resource is necessary to proceed with a project consistent with and supportive of identified goals and policies of the general plan or applicable community or specific plan(s), and the demolition of the building or structure will not have a significant effect on the achievement of the purposes of this chapter or the potential effect is outweighed by the benefits of the new project; or
         c.   In the case of an application for a permit to relocate, that the building may be moved without destroying its historic or architectural integrity and importance; or
         d.   That the demolition or relocation of the landmark or contributing resource is necessary to protect or to promote the health, safety or welfare of the citizens of the city, including the need to eliminate or avoid blight or nuisance, and the benefits of demolition or relocation outweigh the potential effect on the achievement of the goals and policies of this chapter.
   B.   Development projects not located in a historic district and not involving a landmark. For projects not located in a historic district and not involving a landmark, the decision-maker may approve an application for site plan and design review based on all of the following findings:
      1.   The design, layout, and physical characteristics of the proposed development are consistent with the general plan and any applicable specific plan or transit village plan; and
      2.   The design, layout, and physical characteristics of proposed development are consistent with all applicable design guidelines and with all applicable development standards or, if deviations from design guidelines or development standards are approved, the proposed development is consistent with the purpose and intent of the applicable design guidelines and development standards; and
      3.   All streets and other public access ways and facilities, parking facilities, and utility infrastructure are adequate to serve the proposed development and comply with all applicable design guidelines and development standards; and
      4.   The design, layout, and physical characteristics of the proposed development are visually and functionally compatible with the surrounding neighborhood; and
      5.   The design, layout, and physical characteristics of the proposed development ensure energy consumption is minimized and use of renewable energy sources is encouraged; and
      6.   The design, layout, and physical characteristics of the proposed development are not detrimental to the public health, safety, convenience, or welfare of persons residing, working, visiting, or recreating in the surrounding neighborhood and will not result in the creation of a nuisance.
   C.   The decision-maker may impose conditions as the decision-maker determines to be necessary or appropriate in order to make the required findings for approval. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)
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