19.26.05 Adoption and Amendment of Community Plans

1. No property of less than 500 contiguous acres shall be zoned as a Planned Community District. 2. Community Plans require a recommendation from the Planning Commission and approval by the City Council per Chapter 19.17 and as detailed throughout the rest of this Section. 3. Application for Community Plan. Concurrently with a zone change to Planned Community Zone, the Planning Commission shall consider an application to adopt a Community Plan. The Planning Commission shall review the application, hold a public hearing, and certify its recommendation to the City Council. Before certifying a recommendation of approval, or approval with conditions, the Planning Commission must find that the Community Plan: a. is generally consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan, with particular emphasis placed upon those policies related to community identity, distinctive qualities in communities and neighborhoods, diversity of housing, integration of uses, pedestrian and transit design, and environmental protection; b. contains sufficient standards to guide the creation of innovative design that responds to unique conditions; c. is compatible with surrounding development and properly integrates land uses and infrastructure with adjacent properties; d. includes adequate provisions for utilities, services, roadway networks, and emergency vehicle access; and public safety service demands will not exceed the capacity of existing and planned systems without adequate mitigation; e. is consistent with the guiding standards listed in Section 19.26.06; and f. contains the required elements as dictated in Section 19.26.07. 4. Adopted Community Plans. Adopted Community Plans shall be indicated on the Zoning Map and maintained on file in the City Offices. 5. Community Plan Amendment. Modifications to the Community Plan text or exhibits may occur in accordance with the following amendment process: a. Major Amendments: If an amendment is deemed major by the Planning Director (or in the case of a District Area Plan, by the Development Review Committee), it will be processed in the same manner as the original Community Plan. Major amendments are modifications that change the intent of the Community Plan such as: i. those that significantly change the character or architecture of the Community Plan; ii. those that increase or reallocate residential density and non-residential intensity beyond any provisions for transfers provided within the Community Plan, as provided in Section 19.26.06; iii. those that materially reduce the amount of land dedicated to parks, trails, public use space, natural areas, or public facilities as shown on the approved Community Plan; and iv. modifications to development standards as allowed in the Community Plan. b. Minor Amendments. Minor amendments are accomplished administratively by the Planning Director. Minor amendments include simple modifications to text or exhibits such as: i. minor changes in the conceptual location of streets, public improvements, or infrastructure; ii. minor changes in the configuration or size of parcels; iii. transfers of density as described within the Community Plan, as provided for in Section 19.26.06; iv. minor modification of land use boundaries; and v. interpretations that facilitate or streamline the approval of unlisted uses that are similar in nature and impact to listed uses.