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A. Application Contents. All applications for a permit required by the Zoning Code shall be filed by the owner of the affected property or the owner’s authorized agent with the Planning Department on an official City application form prescribed by the Planning Department. The application shall be filed with all required fees, deposits, information, and supporting materials, such as site and building plans, drawings and elevations, and operational data as specified by the Department and as required by the SMC.

B. Fees for Application Processing. Each applicant for a planning permit processed in compliance with this chapter shall be required to pay all costs incurred by the City for the processing of each application. The City Council shall establish a schedule of fees and deposits for the processing of the applications and other actions required by this Zoning Code, hereafter referred to as the City’s fee schedule.

C. Review for Completeness. Review and processing of permits shall be in accordance with the Permit Streamlining Act (Government Code Section 65943).

1. The Planning Director may require a pre-application conference.

2. The Planning Department shall review each application for completeness and accuracy before it is deemed suitable for submission. A final determination of completeness is not provided at this stage.

3. Receipt of the application by the Department shall be based on the City’s list of required application contents and any additional written instructions provided to the applicant in a pre-application conference or during the initial application review period.

4. As per Permit Streamlining Act, within 30 days of application receipt, except as provided below, the Planning Director shall determine whether or not the application is complete. The applicant shall be informed in writing of the determination that either:

a. The application is complete and has been accepted for processing;

b. The application is incomplete and that specific information is required to complete the application. The written determination may also identify preliminary information regarding the areas in which the submitted plans are not in compliance with City standards and requirements; or

c. The application requests permission for an action not allowed in the applicable district or that cannot lawfully be approved by the City and is not accepted for processing.

5. If additional information or submittals are required and the application is not made complete within six months of the completeness determination letter or if a written request for extension of time that includes evidence that the applicant is working toward completeness is not provided by the applicant, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn and no action will be taken on the application. Unexpended fees, as determined by the Planning Director, will be returned to the applicant provided the applicant submits a written request for a refund.

6. When the Planning Director determines that an application is incomplete and the applicant believes that the application is complete or that the information requested by the Planning Department is not required, the applicant may appeal the determination as set forth in Chapter 17.455 SMC.

7. After the Planning Director has accepted an application as complete, the Planning Department may require the applicant to submit additional information for the environmental review of the project in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

D. Application Review. After acceptance of a complete application, the project shall be reviewed in accordance with the review procedures established by this chapter and the environmental review procedures of the CEQA. The Director will consult with other departments as appropriate to ensure compliance with all provisions of the SMC and other adopted plans and requirements. The Department staff will prepare a report to the designated review authority (Planning Director, Design Review Board, Planning Commission, and City Council) describing the project, along with a recommendation to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the application. (Ord. 1111, 2018)