In Santa Cruz County, many kinds of construction projects and land uses require discretionary permits in addition to any building permits that may be required. The assigned Project Planner must first visit the site and review the plans to see if the project meets all Zoning and General Plan requirements and will not have a significant impact on the environment.
By law, the public must be notified about the application, and a public hearing must be held. Applications for these permits are reviewed in the Development Review section of the Unified Permit Center. Note: these permits were formerly referred to as Level 6 and 7 permits.
Planning Commission
Planning Commission Conditional Use Permit (CUP-PC) and Conditional Site Development Permit (CSP-PC) projects Include:
- Land divsions
- Commercial development over 50,000 sq. ft.
- Appeals of decisions made by the Zoning Administrator
You can find information about the Planning Commission here.
Board of Supervisors
Board of Supervisors Conditional Use Permit (CUP-BOS) and Conditional Site Development Permit (CSP-BOS) projects Include:
- Policy changes such as:
- Rezoning
- General Plan Amendments
- County Code Amendments
In addition, the Board reviews:
- Appeals of Planning Commission Decisions
- Legistlative Matters
You can find information about the Board of Supervisors here.
The Development Review Group (DRG)
Before you prepare the required plans and pay the application fees for a large project, it is strongly advised that you obtain a preliminary review by the DRG. This panel consists of representatives from Development Review, Public Works, Environmental Health, the County Surveyor and other agencies as appropriate. You will have an opportunity to discuss your project with them at a meeting. They will inform you of (1) any technical studies that will be required, (2) any Zoning or General Plan limitations on your project, (3) any site improvements or fees that will probably be required, and (4) whether the legal findings required for approval of the project appear likely to be made. Their comments will be summarized in a letter.
To apply for a DRG review, contact Zoning staff by email at Planning.ZoningInfo@santacruzcountyca.gov or by self-scheduling an appointment with Zoning staff. Zoning staff will provide you with the submittal requirements, application fee, and submittal process.
Neighborhood Meeting
After the DRG, but before you file your application, you must hold a meeting with your neighbors to discuss your proposal with them. This is a very important step and can reduce or eliminate neighborhood concerns at the Planning Commission and/or Board of Supervisors public hearings. You must provide a report about the meeting along with your application (see Guidelines for Neighborhood Notification of Proposed Development).
Filing an Application
Please review the information on the Discretionary Permits webpage.
Environmental Review
Most discretionary permit applications at these levels are subject to environmental review.
The Permit Process
The planner assigned to your project will visit the site, review your plans, and prepare a report of their findings and analysis. This report contains a description of the project, its location, and a recommendation for approval (usually with certain conditions) or denial, if affirmative findings cannot be made.
Required findings for the approval of development permits appear in Section 18.10.230 of the County Code. Findings for subdivisions and minor land divisions appear in Section 14.01.402., 403., and 407.2.
Public Notices
You must place a project description sign or signs on the project site before your application will be deemed complete for processing. Your project planner will contact you with details. A copy of the staff report containing the applicant's proposal, maps and plans, staff analysis, findings, and recommendations, plus any correspondence from the public is sent to the applicant and the Planning Commission. An announcement of the hearing is published in a newspaper, posted on the site, and sent to all owners of property within 500 feet of the site ten days before the hearing.
The Hearing
The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing which anyone may attend. The Commission will make a decision or recommendation (if the final decision-maker is the Board of Supervisors) based on the staff recommendation and the statements made by the applicant and the public.
Planning Commissions decisions become effective fourteen (14) calendar days after the hearing, with the exception of Tentative Maps, if not appealed. (See the Discretionary Permit Appeals webpage).
For Board of Supervisors projects, the Planning Commission's recommendation is forwarded to the Board of Supervisors who will conduct another hearing with the same notification procedures as listed before. They will make a decision which is not subject to appeal. However, if the Planning Commission denies an application for development, their decision is final unless appealed to the Board.
For More Information
This information above is an overview of the procedures for obtaining development permits that require Planning Commission and/ or Board of Supervisors approval. For complete regulations, see the Santa Cruz County Code, Chapter 18.10. If you have questions about Discretionary Permits, please contact Zoning staff by email at Planning.ZoningInfo@santacruzcountyca.gov or by self-scheduling an appointment with Zoning staff.