Attachment 2
COMPARISON OF CITIES ZONING 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
No No Yes Yes No 2 to 3
• Requires a preliminary application and
a Council Study Session. No formal
authorization required, but feedback
may require major changes to
proposal.
• Historically, most amendments were to
rezone to a Planned Development,
which was the only way to build
multifamily or nonresidential
development. Recent General Plan
Update established more standard
zoning districts, so City anticipates
fewer rezoning requests.
• Very infrequent zoning text
amendment requests.
Cupertino
Population:
~58,600
City
Employees:
~660
Yes – zoning
text
amendments;
No -
rezonings
No Yes Yes No 0 to 1
• General plan and zoning closely
aligned, so projects often require
amendments to both (which would
then require Council authorization
hearing).
• Rezonings do not require authorization
hearing. Staff processes as received.
• Staff noted a Study Session would
typically be held to discuss
amendments/project.
• Zoning text amendments can only be
initiated by Staff, Council or Planning
Commission.
Attachment 2
COMPARISON OF CITIES ZONING 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
Gilroy
Population:
~58,000
City
Employees:
~245
No No Yes
Only if
controversial
project.
No, unless
rezoning to a
Planned
Development.
1 every other
year
• Historically, most rezonings are to a
Planned Development, which requires
a community benefit (commonly public
art).
• Has received privately-initiated zoning
text amendments, but City has not
always processed them in a timely
manner due to other priorities.
Los Altos
Population:
~30,700
City
Employees:
~136
No No Yes Yes No 0
• Very infrequent requests likely due to
only 80% of city being zoned single-
family.
• City recently rezoned and updated
standards based on Housing Element in
commercial areas, expanding
opportunities for development.
• If application received, likely staff
would take the application before the
Council to evaluate whether to proceed
before staff began processing.
Los Gatos
Population:
~32,500
City
Employees:
~150
No No Yes
Only if
controversial
project.
No, unless
voluntary
through
Planned
Development
1 to 4
• Request goes through preliminary
review at a Conceptual Development
Advisory Committee to receive
informal direction and see if there is
support or not to proceed.
• Larger projects that rezone to Planned
Development may voluntarily include a
community benefit; otherwise none
required.
• Zoning text amendments are typically
initiated by Council or staff as part of
Council Workplan.
Attachment 2
COMPARISON OF CITIES ZONING 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 Only if
needed input No 0 to 1
• City is currently undergoing a
comprehensive zoning code update, so
is not accepting applications.
• Previously, they processed applications
as received and would hold Council
Study Session if need policy direction.
Morgan Hill
Population:
~45,500
City
Employees:
~195
No No Yes Only if need
input
No, unless
rezoning to a
Planned
Development
2 to 3
• Zoning amendments are processed as
received by staff.
• Typical request is to rezone to a
Planned Development (PD) zone, which
requires a community benefit.
• Have a Council Study Session if need
policy direction.
Mountain
View
Population:
~83,000
City
Employees:
688
Yes Yes Yes
Yes, excluding
Gatekeeper
exempt
projects
Yes, excluding
Gatekeeper
exempt
projects
3 to 7
• City’s Gatekeeper website
• Most zoning amendments are for
rezoning/map amendments; often
combined with a general plan
amendment; very few include zoning
text amendments.
Attachment 2
COMPARISON OF CITIES ZONING 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 Yes No Yes Yes No 2 to 4
• Applications are reviewed by Planning
Commission at an “initial review”
hearing in 90 days to determine
whether to proceed.
• If Planning Commission recommends
denial, then Council reviews and
determines if project can proceed. If
supportive, then project continues
through development review process.
• Study Sessions with Planning
Commission and Council typically
occur.
• The initial review hearings are
scheduled as applications are received.
San Jose
Population:
~983,500
City
Employees:
~6,650
No No Yes No No
Could
not confirm
with San Jose,
but Staff
identified 23
rezonings
between
2020-21.
• Staff accepts and begins processing all
applications for zoning amendments,
including rezoning/map amendments
and text amendments.
• No Study Sessions are held; no
community benefits are required.
• Many rezonings are to Planned
Development zones.
Santa Clara
Population:
~127,150
City
Employees:
~800
No No Yes No
No, unless
negotiated
through a
Development
Agreement
5 to 10
• Staff begins processing applications as
received.
• Most requests are for rezonings; very
few for zoning text amendments.
• No community benefits are required,
unless negotiated through a
Development Agreement.
Attachment 2
COMPARISON OF CITIES ZONING 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
Saratoga
Population:
~30,200
City
Employees:
~65
Yes No Yes Yes No 0
• Zoning amendment request would go
to a Council hearing to determine
whether to proceed with processing
application.
• Staff strongly discourages applications
if don’t advance General Plan goals;
very few applications are received for
rezoning or text amendments.
Sunnyvale
Population:
~152,250
City
Employees:
~700
No No Yes Yes
No, unless
rezoning to a
Specific Plan
with
community
benefits
2 to 3
• Zoning amendments/rezonings are
processed with development proposals
as received.
• Community benefits only if rezoning to
a Specific Plan that has community
benefits.
CITIES IN OTHER COUNTIES
Fremont
Population:
~230,600
City
Employees:
~950 No No Yes No Voluntary 2 to 3
• Historically most rezonings were to
Planned Developments (PD), but City is
no longer allowing PDs; so anticipate
fewer rezoning requests.
• Strongly encourage voluntary
community benefits, but not required.
• Zoning text amendments can only be
initiated by City staff or Council.
Attachment 2
COMPARISON OF CITIES ZONING 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
No No Yes Varies Yes 0 to 2
• One-time Gatekeeper process for
Downtown projects in 2020-21
authorized text amendments to
Downtown Precise Plan and two
rezonings; not currently accepting
applications for zoning amendments.
• Most zoning text amendments are
staff-initiated; often addresses minor
tweaks in code raised by applicants.
• Not many rezoning requests; likely due
to City’s major rezonings through
Housing Element, Downtown Precise
Plan, and new mixed-use zones.
• Community benefits are required as
built-in to each of the City’s zoning
districts/precise plans.
• Council Study Session held if policy
direction needed.
Note: Monte Sereno and Los Altos Hills are excluded as these cities are limited to single-family residential zoning.