City of Camarillo
CITY COUNCIL POLICY
Section: Community Development Date Adopted: October 1976 Last Amended: March 10, 2021
Subject: General Plan Amendments (Non-City Initiated)
Number: 7.01 Page 1 of 3
PURPOSE
To provide guidelines for cons idering proposed amendments to th e Camarillo General Plan by an applicant other than the City.
POLICY
The General Plan is a long-range comprehensive policy document that is periodically updated to meet new conditions, and revised or amplified to res pond to unforeseen changes or community needs.
A. Amendment Guidelines
1. The General Plan is subject to amendments when there are cha nges in goals, policies, and physical, social or economic conditions. All proposed amendments should be evaluated with consideration for environme ntal impact and consistency with the balance of the General Plan document.
2. Due to the restriction in Section 65358(b) of the State Gove rnment Code that no single mandatory element of a General Plan will be amended more frequently than four times during a calendar year, it is necess ary that the City establish the criteria and timing for consideration of Gen eral Plan amendments.
3. The guidelines set forth her ein have been established to aid in the review of requests presented to the City. Fulfillment of the general criteria for amendment consideration does not, however, assure or even imply the ultimate approval or disapproval of a General Plan amendment by the City Council. That is, decisions on the contents of the General Plan are by law based solely on the best judgment and discretion of the City Council, made after due process and deliberation.
4. The City Council will determine at the time of referral of a General Plan amendment or a specific plan w hether a fiscal impact analysis will be required in conjunction with the proposal.
Adopted 7.1: 10/76 Policy 7.01
Amended: 01/14/98 Page 2 of 3
Amended 7.01: 01/12/05; 03/25/15; 08/22/18, 03/10/21
B. Review Criteria
In reviewing an application, the Planning Commission and City C ouncil will consider the following:
1. Consideration of an element not currently included in the General Plan.
2. A change in General Plan goals or policy, or in physical, social or economic conditions as stated in the General Plan.
3. A substantial change in envir onmental characteristics affecting the property and its uses which creates an in consistency with other currentl y existing uses.
4. Physical constraints or changes that render the designated l and usage in the General Plan no longer feasible or preferable.
5. A response to changes in development and land use patterns w ithin adjoining areas.
C. Initial Review Process for General Plan Amendment Referrals
1. Complete applications for G eneral Plan Amendment Referrals m ust be submitted to the Community Development Director on or before November
30. The application will be presented to the City Council for i nitial consideration at the first meet ing in April of the following ye ar. The City Council, at its discretion, may order further processing or may terminate application proceedings at this point.
2. Upon review of the General Pl an Amendment request by the Pla nning Commission at a public hearing, the application and Planning Co mmission recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration.
3. The City Clerk will schedule the application for City Counci l consideration at the first reasonably availabl e Council meeting. The City Cou ncil will render a decision by resolution following conclusion of a publi c hearing. If the City Council substantially modi fies the application conside red by the Planning Commission, a decision will be rendered by the Council following further consideration by the Commission and subsequent report t o the Council. The City Council’s decision will be final.
D. Annual Review: On or before t he first meeting in April, staff will present a report to the City Council on the status of each General Plan Amendment Referral.
E. Triennial Review and Decision Whether to Rescind: Every thre e years after the date on which a General Plan Am endment Referral application was referred to staff for study, staff will present to City Council an Agenda Item that reports on the status of the Referral and presents a suggested action to either continue to study the Referral or rescind the Referral.
Adopted 7.1: 10/76 Policy 7.01
Amended: 01/14/98 Page 3 of 3
Amended 7.01: 01/12/05; 03/25/15; 08/22/18, 03/10/21
F. The City Council will not be precluded from considering or acting upon a General Plan Amendment Referral application or Council-approved Referral at such times as it deems necessary or appropriate.
1. Property owners who seek City Council consideration of a new General Plan Amendment Referral application or modification of a Council-approved Referral at times other than the first City Council meeting in April must submit a written request to the City Manager citing the extraor dinary circumstances as to why the application should be considered by t h e Council outside of the process in Section C1. The written reque st must be presented with material and information explaining the property owner’s development concept and justificat ion as to why a change in the General Plan Land Use designation is timely and desirable. The City Man ager will place the request on a future City Council Agenda without analy sis for the City Council’s consideration.
a. If the City Council approves the request to submit a General Plan Amendment Referral application or a request to modify a Council - approved Referral, the property o wner may submit a completed General Plan Amendment Referral application to the Director of Community Development, and an Agenda Item for City Council’s consideration of the application will be placed on a future City Council Agenda.
b. If the City Council denies the request to submit a General P lan Amendment Referral application or a request to modify a Council - approved Referral, the property o wner may submit a General Plan Amendment Referral application by the annual application deadli ne of November 30 in accordance with Section C of this Policy.
2. Other than at the Triennial Rev iew, a Councilmember may requ est consideration of rescission of a previously approved General Pl an Amendment Referral. However, no Councilmember who voted against the previously approved General Plan Amendment Referral may request that the Referral be reviewed by the City Council for consideration of rescission.
Such request for rescission must be made in writing to the City Manager with appropriate back-up material. The City Manager will place the request on a future City Council Agend a without analysis for the City C ouncil’s consideration.
a. If the request is approved, an Agenda Item to consider the r escission of the General Plan Amendment Ref erral will be placed on a futu re City Council Agenda for the City Council’s consideration. b. If the request is denied, t he Councilmember making the request may not make another request for rescission of that previously appr oved General Plan Amendment Referral until the Triennial Review.