CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA PACKET

Page 4 of 8 Appeals As outlined in PMC Chapter 18.144, the current appeal process is lengthy and can last 15 to 30 or more days. The “effective date” of an approval is set based on the duration of the appeal period and is the first date on which a project can legally be issued building permits or begin operations. The effective date can vary substantially from project to project because, in addition to the general appeal period (15 days), PMC provisions allow the City Council to review (“call up”) actions of a ZA or PC decision. These provisions can cause lengthy delays in approval when City Council meetings are canceled or there are long periods between meetings. The City’s general appeal period is significantly longer than neighboring jurisdictions, where appeal periods are typically 10 days. City Process Timeline Due to the review, noticing, and appeal procedures described above, Design Review can add anywhere from one to six months or more of additional review time for a project, depending on the project's complexity and scope, as well as the quality of materials submitted to the City. ADRs have the quickest turnaround time for Design Review applications, adding a minimum of 30 days (and more typically 40 days) of City process time before an applicant can apply for building permits. DISCUSSION Staff recommends a series of PMC amendments that seek to simplify, clarify, and streamline the City’s processes. The amendments will reduce barriers to obtaining building permits for certain types of projects, improve and clarify processes and approval findings, align appeal periods with neighboring jurisdictions, and more closely align noticing requirements with the Government Code. A summary of the proposed changes to the PMC is provided below. Design Review Amendments: Chapter 18.20 Staff recommends a comprehensive revision of PMC Chapter 18.20, which would rescind the current Chapter and replace it with amended procedures. The recommendations include revising the projects subject to Design Review, modifying the current, and somewhat vague “criteria for approval” to reflect more typical approval findings, and clarifying Design Review procedures. Staff believes it is reasonable to no longer require DR for several project types. These projects would still be required to meet all applicable codes, policies, and adopted plans, and would continue to be reviewed by all relevant City divisions through the building permit process. Table 1, below, summarizes projects that staff recommends be exempt from Design Review: Table 1. Summary of Project Types Proposed to be Exempt from Design Review Single-family Multi-family Commercial • Fences • New accessory structures and buildings (e.g., sheds, pool house, pavilions) • New lofts without • Minor exterior building modifications (e.g., materials change or building re-paint)* • Minor site • Refacing or replacing existing signs with minor alterations to existing signage (e.g., installing a new sign that is a similar size and style to what Page 133 of 200