Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Campbell
Population:
~43,000
City
Employees:
~60
Yes No Yes
Yes, if certain
type of
project
No 0 to 1
• Requires a Council Authorization
hearing prior to a formal application;
scheduled as-needed.
• General Plan was adopted in 2023 so
do not anticipate a lot of requests for
amendments.
• Study Sessions with Planning
Commission and Council are required,
if certain type of residential or
nonresidential project (see Prelim
Application Form).
Cupertino
Population:
~58,600
City
Employees:
~660
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes None
• Adopted Council policy on general plan
amendment procedures in 2015.
• Hold authorization hearings up to 2
times per year.
• The voluntary community amenities
are community benefits.
• City stopped accepting applications in
2020; has not begun accepting new
applications.
Gilroy
Population:
~58,000
City
Employees:
~245
No No Yes
Only if
controversial
project
No 0
• Adopted General Plan Update in 2020,
no applications since.
• Very infrequent applications for general
plan amendments.
Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
Los Altos
Population:
~30,700
City
Employees:
~136
No No Yes Yes No 0
• Very infrequent applications because
80% of City is zoned R1 Single-Family.
• If received, they would take it before
the Council for Study Session to
consider whether to proceed.
Los Gatos
Population:
~32,500
City
Employees:
~150
No No Yes Yes Voluntary 0 to 2
• Accept applications and staff begins
processing; however require an
informal application.
• Requires a general plan amendment to
informally go through the Conceptual
Development Advisory Committee of
appointed and elected officials who
provide feedback on proposal (in many
ways this acts as an authorization
hearing based on whether feedback is
supportive or not).
• Once a formal application is submitted,
all general plan amendments are
reviewed by the General Plan
Committee (of appointed/elected
officials and residents) to recommend
on the request, prior to Planning
Commission and Council final public
hearings.
• Projects sometimes include voluntary
community benefits.
Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
Milpitas
Population:
~79,000
City
Employees:
~450
No No Yes Yes No 0 to 1
• General Plan updated in 2021;
anticipate few applications.
• Staff processes applications as they are
received.
• Staff noted they would likely take a
general plan amendment to a Council
Study Session to get feedback on
whether to proceed.
Morgan Hill
Population:
~45,500
City
Employees:
~195
No No Yes Yes Voluntary 0 to 2
• Have an adopted Council policy with
procedures.
• Allow privately-initiated amendments
to be submitted January – June only.
• Requires a preliminary hearing at
Planning Commission; Planning
Commission can suggest changes to
project proposal (in many ways this
acts an authorization hearing based on
whether feedback is supportive or not).
• Hold 1 hearing a year; projects
sometimes have community benefits.
• General Plan updated in 2016 and
Monterey Hwy zoning updated in 2023,
so anticipate receiving fewer requests.
Mountain
View
Population:
~83,000
City
Employees:
688
Yes Yes Yes
Yes, except
Gatekeeper
exempt
projects
Yes, except
Gatekeeper
exempt
projects
3 to 7
• City’s Gatekeeper website
• City has adopted evaluation criteria for
Gatekeeper applications and requires
community benefits.
• Typically 1 authorization hearing a year,
sometimes more frequent.
Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
Palo Alto
Population:
~66,700
City
Employees:
~1,300
No No Yes Yes No 0 to 1
• Comprehensive Plan (General Plan)
updated in 2017.
• Staff will begin processing application
as received, but discourages
applications that don’t further the
goals of General Plan.
• No authorization hearing required, but
have early Study Session with Planning
Commission for input.
• City is expanding development
standards in current Housing Element
which will likely decrease applications.
San Jose
Population:
~983,500
City
Employees:
~6,650
No No Yes No No 10
• City general plan amendment process;
General Plan adopted in 2011.
• First year of updated process, including
requiring development plans to be
submitted and expanding early
consideration process; no community
benefits required.
• Early consideration is a Council hearing
to determine whether to proceed with
the review of a general plan
amendment; it is an optional process
for applicant to request at time of
application or Staff can request if: (a)
project converts an employment use to
nonemployment or (b) project is
fundamentally inconsistent with
general plan goals/policies.
• No set number of early consideration
hearings per year; one public hearing
for adoption per year.
Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
Santa Clara
Population:
~127,150
City
Employees:
~800
No No Yes No
No, unless
negotiated
with
Development
Agreement
5 • Had a Council policy requiring Council
authorization for general plan
amendments from 2017 to 2021.
• Applications are processed as received
by staff.
• No Planning Commission or Council
Study Sessions held. Staff noted this
can create uncertainty.
• Approximately half of applications are
approved.
• Community benefits are provided when
negotiated with a Development
Agreement.
Saratoga
Population:
~30,200
City
Employees:
~65
Yes No Yes Yes No 0
• Very infrequent applications.
• City staff noted they would take an
application to Council for authorization
before proceeding with processing.
• Staff noted there may be little support
for an amendment as City is built-out.
Sunnyvale
Population:
~152,250
City
Employees:
~700
Yes No No Yes
No, unless
required by
Specific Plan
or negotiated
in
Development
Agreement
2 • Requires an initiation hearing for a
general plan amendment to be
reviewed by the Planning Commission,
and Council to determine whether to
proceed.
• Planning Commission/Council may
recommend changes to the request.
• Once authorized, City staff studies land
use changes with general plan
amendment and returns to Planning
Commission and Council Study
Sessions. Once Council direction is
Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
Sunnyvale
Population:
~152,250
City
Employees:
~700
provided, the applicant can submit an
informal development application for
preliminary review; formal application
can only be submitted after the Council
adopts the general plan amendment.
• Community benefit not required; but
often included with projects that join
an existing Specific Plan area or
negotiated with Development
Agreement.
• Staff discourages general plan
amendment applications that don’t
advance General Plan goals/policies.
CITIES IN OTHER COUNTIES
Fremont
Population:
~230,600
City
Employees:
~950
No No Yes No Voluntary 0 to 1
• Had Council policy for general plan
amendment screenings from 2017 to
2022 (leading up to Housing Element
Update).
• Only amendments that increase
residential density or convert to
residential from nonresidential go
through screening; nonresidential and
100% affordable housing are exempt.
• Accepted applications in June and Nov.;
hearings 2 times per year; community
benefits not required, but encouraged.
• If 3 or less applications received and
met exemptions, then can proceed
directly to staff to begin processing.
• Today, Staff encourages applicants to
submit preliminary applications for
review; applications not supported if
don’t further General Plan goals.
Attachment 1
COMPARISON OF CITIES GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
City
Council
Authorization
Required
Have Any
Criteria
Review w/
Development
Proposal
Council Study
Session Held
Community
Benefit
Required
Typical No. of
Applications
Per Year
Comments
Redwood
City
Population:
~81,650
City
Employees:
~600
Yes No Yes Varies No None
• City has not accepted a General Plan
amendment application since 2021;
otherwise, general plan amendments
require authorization by Council for
staff to begin processing.
• Used a one-time Gatekeeper process
for Downtown projects in 2020-21,
which require a Council authorization
hearing (included community benefits).
• Hold Council study sessions depending
on zoning requirements and need for
policy direction on project.
Note: Monte Sereno and Los Altos Hills are not included as limited to single-family residential zoning only.