ORDINANCE NO. 1808
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING ZONING AMENDMENT 26-062 AMENDING TITLE 17 – ZONING OF THE SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE FOR CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY; AND FINDING THIS ACTION EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) UNDER STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTIONS 15378(B)(2) AND 15378(B)(5) WHEREAS, on February 4, 2014, the City Council of the City of San Clemente adopted the Centennial General Plan, which, among other provisions, included changes to land use designations, particular types of uses, and development criteria for certain designations; and WHEREAS, on February 4, 2014, as part of its action on the Centennial General Plan, the City Council certified Environmental impact Report SCH No. 2013041021 (“General Plan EIR”) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) approved mitigation measures, and adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations; and WHEREAS, subsequent to adoption of the General Plan EIR, the City Council adopted several Addenda:
On November 3, 2015, the City Council adopted General Plan Amendment (“GPA”) 15-049, approved Ordinance Nos. 1609 and 1610 for Zoning Amendment (“ZA”) 14-456, and certified EIR Addendum No. 1 (the “2015 Addendum”); On September 5, 2017, the City Council adopted GPA 15-331, approved EIR Addendum No. 2 (the “2017 Addendum), and approved Ordinance No. 1645 for ZA 17-251; On December 17, 2019, the San Clemente City Council adopted GPA 19-291 and SPA 19-292 (an updated to the Pier Bowl Specific Plan), and approved EIR Addendum No. 3 (the “2019 Addendum”); and On October 18, 2022, the City Council adopted GPA 21-238, SPA 21-239, and ZA 21-240, and Land Use Plan Amendment (“LUPA”) 21-241, and approved EIR Addendum No. 4 (the “2022 Addendum”).
WHEREAS, on May 20, 2025, the City Council initiated Zoning Amendment 25-547 (the “Project”) to Title 17 (Zoning) of the San Clemente Municipal Code to correct outdated references, clarify findings and procedures, remove obsolete code sections, and ensure consistency with current City practices and the Centennial General Plan. The amendments represent a coordinated effort to modernize the City’s zoning standards, improve predictability and efficiency in permit processing, and ensure the Municipal Code remains clear, current, and aligned with community expectations; and WHEREAS, the Ordinance attached hereto amends various code sections within Title 17 of the San Clemente Municipal Code (“SCMC”) to effectuate the Project and the City Council’s directives on the same; and WHEREAS, the City, as Lead Agency, conducted an environmental review of the proposed SCMC amendments for compliance with the California Environmental Quality ACT (“CEQA”) and the State CEQA Guidelines; and WHEREAS, on April 8, 2026, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on the attached zoning amendments, considered evidence presented by City staff and comments from other interested parties, and made a recommendation to the City Council as fully set forth herein; and WHEREAS, on May 5, 2026, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on this Ordinance, considered the agenda report, including the policy considerations discussed therein, and the written and oral testimony received. The City Council has also reviewed and considered the Planning Commission’s recommendation, and the agenda report and other evidence that was considered by the Commission, in connection with the proposed amendments; and WHEREAS, all legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Ordinance have occurred.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: Incorporation of Recitals.
The City Council hereby finds that all of the facts in the Recitals are true and correct and are incorporated and adopted as findings of the City Council as fully set forth in this Ordinance.
SECTION 2: CEQA Findings.
Based upon its review of the entire record, including, but not limited to, the staff report, any public comments or testimony, and all related information presented to the City, and the facts outlined below, the City Council finds the amendments are not a “project” as defined by the State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b)(2) and 15378(b)(5) because the revisions relate to ongoing administrative activities and organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore do not constitute a “project” as defined by the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., title 14, § 15000 et seq.). Additionally, the amendments are exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) on the basis that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. The amendments clarify and cleanup zoning standards. The proposed changes do no change land use designations or increase the type, density, or land use impacts of potential development.
SECTION 3: Zoning Amendment Findings
With respect to ZA 26-062, the City Council finds the following with respect to the amendments to this Zoning Ordinance:
The amendments are consistent with the General Plan, in that:
The zoning amendments clarify and improve the effectiveness of regulations, make the City’s review process more understandable, predictable, and timely, and are consistent with Governance Element Policy G-1.01 Effective Governance, “We practice effective governance by adhering to a planning, budgeting, and implementation process which is publicly accessible, understandable, predictable and timely.” The zoning amendments will not adversely impact the public health, safety, and welfare since they further the Centennial General Plan objectives of (1) meeting community values, needs, and conditions; (2) guiding long-term public and private land use, transportation, economic development, resource preservation, urban design, and other public policy actions; and (3) reflecting the Planning Commission’s review, direction, and independent judgement regarding land use.
SECTION 4: SCMC Code Amendments.
Title 17 (Zoning) of the San Clemente Municipal Code is hereby amended as set forth in Exhibit “A,” attached hereto and incorporated herein fully by reference.
SECTION 5: Severability.
If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any entity, person or circumstance is held for any reason to be invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect other provisions or applications of this Ordinance that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Ordinance are severable. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, sentence, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more section, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 6: The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of this Ordinance and publish the same in the manner required by law, and this Ordinance shall take effect as provided by law.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED AND SIGNED this May __, 2026
ATTEST:
_______________________________ ___________________________ City Clerk of the City of Rick Loeffler, Mayor of the City of San Clemente, California San Clemente, California
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss.
CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE )
I, LAURA CAMPAGNOLO, City Clerk of the City of San Clemente, California, hereby certify that Ordinance No. 1808 having been regularly introduced at the meeting of _____________________, was again introduced, the reading in full thereof unanimously waived, and duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the _____ of ________, 2026, and said ordinance was adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Clemente, California, this _____ day of ______________________, ________. __________________________
CITY CLERK of the City of
San Clemente, California
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
Elizabeth A. Mitchell, CITY ATTORNEY
Ordinance No. 1808 Page 2
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