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File #:18-164,Version:1 <br />on current planning applications and, in most instances, is the final deciding authority. <br />In San Leandro, the Planning Commission (PC) primarily serves as a recommending body focused <br />on long-range planning and complex applications. The PC makes recommendations to the City <br />Council on Planned Developments, Rezoning, General Plan Amendments, and Tentative Tract Maps. <br />With the rare exception of a denied appeal (San Leandro Zoning Code Section 5-2810), the City <br />Council is the final deciding authority on all applications heard by the PC. <br />San Leandro is one of the few remaining cities in the State of California to have both a PC and a <br />BZA. Of the other cities in California, only Berkeley, Modesto, Bakersfield, Norco, and Perris are <br />known to have a similar arrangement. Alameda County and Sonoma County are the only counties <br />known to have a separate PC and BZA. The cities of Merced, West Sacramento, Folsom, and <br />Beverly Hills and Santa Clara County have merged their BZAs into their PCs. <br />Analysis <br />There are number of practical and cost-saving benefits to merging the PC and BZA. Preparing <br />hearing notices, mailings, and agenda packets for separate meetings requires a substantial amount <br />of staff time. Merging the two would require the PC to serve as both a recommending and deciding <br />body. <br />Approval Streamlining <br />There are currently a number of potential situations where a project application could be required to <br />go before the BZA, PC and City Council for approval. For example, if an applicant wishes to develop <br />a new condominium project, the applicant’s Site Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit would need <br />to be approved by the BZA, but the Tentative Tract Map would need a recommendation by the <br />Planning Commission with final approval by the City Council. This process adds about two extra <br />months to the application processing timeline because public hearings are required before three <br />different deciding bodies. In these situations, staff is required to prepare three different sets of <br />hearing notices, staff reports, findings, resolutions, and conditions of approval. A shortened timeframe <br />and reduced uncertainty through the approval process can be a significant factor in making San <br />Leandro a desirable location for developers interested in constructing projects that are consistent <br />with the City’s planning goals. <br />Fewer Meetings <br />The workload between the PC and BZA is typically uneven. In recent years, the BZA has had two or <br />three agenda items scheduled for each hearing while the PC has only one item. In the past five <br />years, the PC has canceled half of its regularly scheduled public hearings for lack of items, while the <br />BZA has canceled approximately 43% of its meetings. Both bodies have scheduled about the same <br />number of special meetings over the past five years. Merging the two bodies would not require <br />scheduling two hearings each month. Holding one meeting per month would reduce comp time and <br />overtime hours for staff, providing cost savings for the City and applicants. <br />Administrative Staff Resources <br />The Planning Services Division currently prepares agenda packets and advertises public hearings for <br />the BZA and PC twice a month. Cancelled meetings also require public noticing. Preparing legal <br />City of San Leandro Printed on 10/30/2018Page 2 of 5 <br />powered by Legistar™