(a) Applications, generally. Applications for a use permit under this Chapter shall be submitted to the Director, together with payment of all application fees established by the Board of Supervisors. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, all provisions of the Yolo County Code relating generally to use permits shall apply to the review, issuance, and amendment or revocation of permits covered hereunder.
(b) Application contents. An application for a use permit shall include all of the following:
(i) A completed application for a permit under this Chapter, on a form provided by the County, together with payment of the application fee established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
(ii) Completed applications for any other required County approvals, such as a grading permit or Flood Hazard Development Permit, together with payment of the application fee(s) established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. In addition, both with the initial application and thereafter, the applicant shall provide copies of all completed applications for other federal, state, and local approvals associated with the proposed project to facilitate coordination between the County and other agencies.
(iii) Appropriate site-specific technical reports, including but not limited to such documents as a biological resources analysis, a hydrology analysis, a geotechnical analysis, and an engineered excavation plan. The types of reports that may be required should be uniform for applications that are similar in nature, but may vary to the extent that the features of a proposed project or the characteristics of the project site and surrounding lands are unique. Upon request, the Director will advise an applicant of the types of reports that should be submitted with a permit application or, in appropriate instances, in connection with environmental review of a proposed project or at other times as specified by the Director in his or her sole discretion. In some instances, the applicant may be able to satisfy this requirement by providing documents prepared in connection with applications to other federal, state, or local agencies relating to the project.
(iv) A site plan showing property lines, assessor's parcel numbers, onsite and adjoining land uses, topography, access, and existing/proposed patterns of vegetation.
(v) A proposed management plan that identifies how the project will be operated and managed over time. Among other things, the plan should explain how the project will be actively operated and managed in perpetuity to ensure that its environmental and other benefits are realized on a continuous basis, how vector control issues will be addressed, if applicable, and how any unanticipated events and impacts to surrounding land uses will be addressed. The proposed management plan shall also include measures to address crop depredation to the extent it is a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the proposed project. The plan should also state whether the operation and management of the project will be supported by an endowment or other established source of funds.
In addition to the foregoing, the Director may require such other and further information relevant to the project as needed to perform appropriate environmental analysis, to determine whether the proposal may affect public health, safety, and welfare, and for other good cause as determined by the Director in his or her sole discretion.
(c) Yolo HCP/NCCP and RCIS/LCP Consistency. In addition to referrals to other County departments, as may be appropriate in the discretion of the Director, all permit applications shall be promptly referred to the following:
(i) To the Executive Director of the Yolo Habitat Conservancy. The referral shall include a request for comments regarding whether the application is consistent with the Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP) and the Local Conservation Plan included within the Yolo County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy, described below.
(ii) To the Implementation Sponsor for the Yolo County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy (RCIS). As with the Yolo HCP/NCCP, the referral shall include a request for comments regarding whether the application is consistent with the RCIS.
Referrals shall encourage a response within thirty (30) days. Additional referrals may also be made later in the planning and environmental review process.
(d) Deciding Authority. The Deciding Authority for permit applications shall be as follows:
(i) For projects of less than 40 acres, the Zoning Administrator shall be the Deciding Authority.
(ii) For projects of between 40 and 159 acres, the Planning Commission shall be the Deciding Authority. For projects that are 160 or more acres, the Planning Commission shall act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors. Acting in such capacity, the Planning Commission shall hold at least one noticed public hearing on the project prior to making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The recommendation of the Planning Commission shall be in writing and shall include a detailed statement of the grounds for the recommendation.
(iii) For projects that are 160 or more acres or that include a proposed alternative approach to addressing the conversion of farmland (as set forth in Section 10-10.303(h), below), the Board of Supervisors shall be the deciding authority. The Board of Supervisors shall hold at least one noticed public hearing on the project prior to making a final decision on the application.
(e) Decision. After considering the application materials and, if applicable, the recommendations of County staff and the Planning Commission, the Deciding Authority shall issue, conditionally issue, or deny the application by a written decision supported by findings that address the criteria set forth in Section 10-10.303, below. Due to the unique nature of projects covered by this Chapter, the general conditions that typically apply to the review and approval or denial of a use permit, set forth in Yolo County Code Section 8-2.217, shall not apply.
(f) Costs and expenses. The applicant shall reimburse all costs and expenses reasonably incurred by the County in reviewing applications under this Chapter, including but not limited to staff time and costs and expenses associated with environmental review. At the discretion of the Director, the applicant may be required to provide a reasonable deposit for such costs, enter into a reimbursement agreement with the County, or both.
(§ 5, Ord. 1426, eff. February 28, 2013; as amended by § 5, Ord. 1501, eff. August 23, 2018)