65800-65804
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.