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The City of Lakeport Community Development Department has developed several informational handouts that explain the land use application / permitting process.  The intent is to identify what is required by the City in order to have an application considered complete and eventually reviewed by either City staff, the City Planning Commission, or the City Council.

Depending on the nature and scope of the proposed project, one or more of the following applications may be required:

1. Amendment to the City’s General Plan
2. Amendment to the City’s Zoning Map
3. Appeals of either staff decisions, or Planning Commission decisions
4. Lot Line Adjustments
5. Lot divisions involving four lots or less (parcel map)
6. Lot divisions involving five lots or more (subdivision)
7. Request to continue an application
8. Request for extension of time on approved land use permits
9. Revised tentative maps
10. Request for a Special Meeting of the Planning Commission
11. Use Permit
12. Variance
13. Request to revise an approved plan
14. Environmental Review
15. Free-standing Sign Permit
16. Voluntary Merger Request
17. Application to Pre-Zone Unincorporated Land
18. Architectural and Design Review
19. Request for Annexation to the City of Lakeport
20. Zoning Permit
21. Special permits including requests to exceed fence height limitations, interpretations to the Zoning Ordinance, and other minor applications.

It is recommended that individuals interested in applying for a City land use application make an appointment with the Community Development Department staff to discuss the project, check the zoning, and review any special limitations or requirements that may be in place. The necessary application forms and materials will be made available.  Application forms must be filled out completely, and the project applicant and the owner of the land must sign the forms.  Supplemental information such as a site plan, floor plan, building elevations, and more may be required before an application is deemed complete.

Once the application form(s) is completed, please make 14 copies of each form, site plan, etc.  These copies are needed in order for staff and other affected agencies to properly review the project.  Copies are also provided to each member of the Planning Commission.

Application fees must be paid when the application package is submitted to the City Community Development Department.  Staff will set up a file and review the application package to assure that it is complete and filed in accordance with the Municipal Code and State law.  The time frame for processing any land use application is 4 to 12 weeks, and may be longer depending on the level of controversy.

A public hearing/meeting date will be established, and staff will send a letter indicating that the application is complete; or in the case where something is lacking, identify specifically what is needed to make the application package complete.

Staff will send copies of the land use application to the various City departments and other City, County, or State agencies that have a responsibility to comment on the proposal.  Generally, these agencies have between seven and ten days to respond.  If your application requires public notice, property owners within a 300’ radius of the project location will be notified by mail of the proposal and the Planning Commission hearing date.  Notice will also be published in the Lake County Record Bee at least ten days prior to the Planning Commission hearing.

Approximately five days prior to the Planning Commission meeting on your application, you will receive a staff report which outlines the proposed project, and addresses conformance with the applicable City codes and regulations, and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.  The staff report will also set forth a recommendation, identify findings related to the California Environmental Quality Act, and, in most cases, recommend conditions of approval.  You will want to read this staff report carefully and call the City Community Development Director should you have any questions or comments about what is contained within the document. It is important to remember that the staff report is a recommendation to the City Planning Commission and/or City Council based on a review of the proposed project and its conformance with applicable codes and regulations.

You will want to attend the public hearing/meeting to address any comments, questions, or concerns of the Planning Commission and to address any problems that you may have with the staff report.  The Planning Commission will listen to any comments that you have pertaining to the application and may, if it is a public hearing, take comments, concerns, or questions from property owners or residents that may be affected by the proposal.

At the conclusion of the Planning Commission review on your application, a decision will be rendered.  The Planning Commission will also make a recommendation as to the required findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

You may, within five working days of the date of the decision on the application, file an appeal (subject to a fee) with the Community Development Department who will, in turn, schedule a public hearing in front of the Lakeport City Council to consider the matter.

If your appeal application is deemed complete, the City Council will consider the appeal at one of its next regularly scheduled meetings.  After the decision of the City Council is made, the City Community Development Department staff will file the appropriate notices with the Lake County Auditor’s Office regarding the California Environmental Quality Act and will mail a letter to you outlining the decision and any conditions of approval.  In most cases, conditions must be satisfied before any other required permits can be obtained.

Please keep in mind that this is a general description of the procedures used in the various land use applications within the City of Lakeport, and specific land use requests may involve procedures slightly different than those described above.  For more specific detail, please check and review the handouts dealing with the specific application for which you are applying for.