The following section describes the process by which an amendment to the 2030 Yolo Countywide General Plan may be authorized to proceed, and then processed.
(a) Pursuant to Section 65358(b) of the Government Code, the approval of amendments is limited to four (4) times per calendar year. Amendments may be initiated by the Board of Supervisors, Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services Department staff, the property owner, or any authorized agent of the property owner. However, requests for amendments to the General Plan by private parties are generally discouraged.
(b) Corrections and/or non-substantive changes to the General Plan do not constitute an amendment of the Plan within the meaning of Section 65358(b). Corrections and/or nonsubstantive changes may be processed by the Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services Director (Director), but must be approved by the Board of Supervisors in the form of a resolution of approval.
(c) Amendments to the General Plan shall be required when a proposal would:
(1) Substantively change the boundaries or location of any land use designation within the plan;
(2) Substantively change the text, figures, or tables of the plan;
(3) Adopt or significantly revise a Specific Plan, Area or Community Plan, or other policy plan.
(d) All amendments to the General Plan proposed by private parties must first be authorized for further study by the Board of Supervisors before the amendment can be environmentally evaluated and processed by Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services Department staff.
(e) Initial Authorization Application Requirements. An initial request by any private party to authorize a General Plan Amendment (GPA) study shall include the application forms, required documentation, and applicable fee as established by the County Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services Department and shall provide the following:
(1) A detailed statement identifying the reasons for the GPA authorization request and demonstrating how the proposed GPA furthers the vision and goals of the General Plan.
(2) A detailed description of the General Plan text, figures and maps that would require modification as a result of the request.
(f) An initial request by a private party to authorize a General Plan Amendment study must be filed with and reviewed by the Planning Director at a Pre-Application conference. Upon receipt of an initial application to authorize a General Plan Amendment, the Director shall immediately notify and solicit comments from the appropriate Yolo County departments or adjacent jurisdictions that may be affected, as well as any citizens advisory committees. Following the Pre-Application conference and receipt of any comments from other department or agencies, the Director shall prepare a report and recommendation on the GPA authorization to be placed on the Board of Supervisors agenda as a public hearing.
(g) At the GPA authorization hearing, the Board of Supervisors may request a presentation by the applicant. Following the conclusion of the hearing, the Board of Supervisors Council may authorize the General Plan Amendment for further study and processing by staff, or the Board of Supervisors may deny the authorization request. If the GPA authorization request is denied, no formal GPA application can be submitted to the County, and no further study of the GPA will be conducted by the staff.
(h) If the Board of Supervisors Council authorizes the General Plan Amendment for further study, a revised formal General Plan Amendment application shall be completed and submitted to the Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services Department by the applicant with appropriate fees and technical studies to support the GPA. The formal GPA application shall include an appropriate deposit, as determined by the Director, to initiate the environmental evaluation required to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
(i) Any authorized application for a General Plan Amendment, accompanied by the appropriate CEQA document, shall be processed in accordance with State law. The GPA application and environmental document must first be heard by the Planning Commission, which shall make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
(j) Any General Plan Amendment that is approved must be approved by resolution of the Board of Supervisors and shall be documented in the table of changes in the front of the General Plan.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014)