SECTIONS 65800-65804 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 65800-65804

65800. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide for the
adoption and administration of zoning laws, ordinances, rules and
regulations by counties and cities, as well as to implement such
general plan as may be in effect in any such county or city. Except
as provided in Article 4 (commencing with Section 65910) and in
Section 65913.1, the Legislature declares that in enacting this
chapter it is its intention to provide only a minimum of limitation
in order that counties and cities may exercise the maximum degree of
control over local zoning matters.

65801. Any action brought in the superior court relating to this
chapter may be subject to a mediation proceeding conducted pursuant
to Chapter 9.3 (commencing with Section 66030).

65802. No provisions of this code, other than the provisions of
this chapter, and no provisions of any other code or statute shall
restrict or limit the procedures provided in this chapter by which
the legislative body of any county or city enacts, amends,
administers, or provides for the administration of any zoning law,
ordinance, rule or regulation.

65803. Except as otherwise provided, this chapter shall not apply
to a charter city, except to the extent that the same may be adopted
by charter or ordinance of the city.

65804. It shall be the purpose of this section to implement minimum
procedural standards for the conduct of city and county zoning
hearings. Further, it is the intent of the Legislature that this
section provide those standards to insure uniformity of, and public
access to, zoning and planning hearings while maintaining the maximum
control of cities and counties over zoning matters.
The following procedures shall govern city and county zoning
hearings:
(a) All local city and county zoning agencies shall develop and
publish procedural rules for conduct of their hearings so that all
interested parties shall have advance knowledge of procedures to be
followed. The procedural rules shall incorporate the procedures in
Section 65854.
(b) When a matter is contested and a request is made in writing
prior to the date of the hearing, all local city and county planning
agencies shall insure that a record of all their hearings shall be
made and duly preserved, a copy of which shall be available at cost.
The city or county may require a deposit from the person making the
request.
(c) When a planning staff report exists, the report shall be made
public prior to or at the beginning of the hearing and shall be a
matter of public record.
(d) When any hearing is held on an application for a change of
zone for parcels of at least 10 acres, a staff report with
recommendations and the basis for those recommendations shall be
included in the record of the hearing.
Notwithstanding Section 65803, this section shall apply to
chartered cities.