Development Services Review. Final Report. Zucker July 2016

We advocate this system because it promotes processing consistency and efficiency and facilitates coordination and communication throughout the permitting Process. Planners have also told us that they find this system more fulfilling because it elevates planning staff from processors and regulators to managers and problem-solvers. In our interviews with staff and focus groups, we were told that the Planners are not empowered to make certain decisions and drive the review process with related functions, such as building, public works, fire, police and parks to ensure that reviews are timely and relevant. For example, it was widely reported that engineering reviews are often untimely and planners have little ability to ensure reviews are on time. In addition, focus group participants indicated that planners do not invite applicants to Design Review Committee (DRC) meetings to participate in issue discussions and that preliminary and conceptual meetings are ineffective because feedback is inconsistent. In addition, it was reported that staff recommendations can be changed by management during the staff report editing process, without any discussion or advance communication with the project planner or applicant, which creates significant frustration and has negatively impacted staff morale and developer perceptions (see our discussion under “Process Issues” regarding the CDD informing staff about report changes). Further, although planners remain involved in a project through the implementation stage (e.g., building and engineering permits and mitigation monitoring), developers reported that they are left on their own at times to work out engineering-related improvement issues with the Public Works department. Planning Project Management Systems are those where Planners perform all of the following functions.  Arrange for and lead pre-application meeting discussions that provide formal written feedback to applicants from all development-related functions;  Conduct qualitative reviews of new planning applications to determine whether they are complete prior to processing;  Drive, coordinate and track plan routing and review to other reviewing agencies and groups to ensure timely and relevant reviews are conducted;  Coordinate input from outside regional, state or federal agencies to ensure timely and relevant reviews and help resolve issues that are identified; See our discussions under the “Design Review Committee” and the “Conceptual/Non-RDCS Preliminary Plan Review” headings below.

Morgan Hill, California

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Zucker Systems