Zoning laws across the state of California help protect communities and property owners. Zoning laws create limits on how people or businesses can use or develop a piece of property. Through the creation of those limits, local government entities can prevent an industrial space or an agricultural venture from becoming a significant nuisance for other people nearby.
Whether you want to buy up multiple, dilapidated residential properties to construct a mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor or convert an existing industrial warehouse to expensive condominiums, you will probably have to rezone the property.
What does that process entail?
Rezoning requires multiple reviews and public input
The rezoning process starts with the submission of an application to the Planning and Economic Development Department of the City of Santa Rosa. Provided that everything you submit is adequate, you can then move on to the environmental review process.
Essentially, you have to explore whether the changes would affect the local environment and what impact rezoning might cause. After that process, the next step involves working with the Planning Commission. They determine whether or not your rezoning request will go on to the City Council.
The City Council review is the final step, and it can also be one of the most difficult. Any member of the public can attend the meeting where your rezoning request is on the agenda. Members of the public can openly express concerns about the impact of the change on their business or their property, and those concerns might affect the outcome of your rezoning request.
Understanding what goes into rezoning a parcel can make it a less intimidating process for your business to undergo.