Section 65361 Of Article 6. Preparation, Adoption, And Amendment Of The General Plan From California Government Code >> Division 1. >> Title 7. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 6.
65361
. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon
application by a city or county, the Director of Planning and
Research shall grant a reasonable extension of time not to exceed two
years from the date of issuance of the extension, for the
preparation and adoption of all or part of the general plan, if the
legislative body of the city or county, after a public hearing, makes
any of the following findings:
(1) Data required for the general plan shall be provided by
another agency and it has not yet been provided.
(2) In spite of sufficient budgetary provisions and substantial
recruiting efforts, the city or county has not been able to obtain
necessary staff or consultant assistance.
(3) A disaster has occurred requiring reassignment of staff for an
extended period or requiring a complete reevaluation and revision of
the general plan, or both.
(4) Local review procedures require an extended public review
process that has resulted in delaying the decision by the legislative
body.
(5) The city or county is jointly preparing all or part of the
general plan with one or more other jurisdictions pursuant to an
existing agreement and timetable for completion.
(6) Other reasons exist that justify the granting of an extension,
so that the timely preparation and adoption of a general plan is
promoted.
(b) The director shall not grant an extension of time for the
preparation and adoption of a housing element except in the case of a
newly incorporated city or newly formed county that cannot meet the
deadline set by Section 65360. Before the director grants an
extension of time pursuant to this subdivision, he or she shall
consult with the Director of Housing and Community Development.
(c) The application for an extension shall contain all of the
following:
(1) A resolution of the legislative body of the city or county
adopted after public hearing setting forth in detail the reasons why
the general plan was not previously adopted as required by law or
needs to be revised, including one or more of the findings made by
the legislative body pursuant to subdivision (a), and the amount of
additional time necessary to complete the preparation and adoption of
the general plan.
(2) A detailed budget and schedule for preparation and adoption of
the general plan, including plans for citizen participation and
expected interim action. The budget and schedule shall be of
sufficient detail to allow the director to assess the progress of the
applicant at regular intervals during the term of the extension. The
schedule shall provide for adoption of a complete and adequate
general plan within two years of the date of the application for the
extension.
(3) A set of proposed policies and procedures which would ensure,
during the extension of time granted pursuant to this section, that
the land use proposed in an application for a subdivision, rezoning,
use permit, variance, or building permit will be consistent with the
general plan proposal being considered or studied.
(d) The director may impose any conditions on extensions of time
granted that the director deems necessary to ensure compliance with
the purposes and intent of this title. Those conditions shall apply
only to those parts of the general plan for which the extension has
been granted. In establishing those conditions, the director may
adopt or modify and adopt any of the policies and procedures proposed
by the city or county pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).
(e) During the extension of time specified in this section, the
city or county is not subject to the requirement that a complete and
adequate general plan be adopted, or the requirements that it be
adopted within a specific period of time. Development approvals shall
be consistent with those portions of the general plan for which an
extension has been granted, except as provided by the conditions
imposed by the director pursuant to subdivision (d). Development
approvals shall be consistent with any element or elements that have
been adopted and for which an extension of time is not sought.
(f) If a city or county that is granted a time extension pursuant
to this section determines that it cannot complete the elements of
the general plan for which the extension has been granted within the
prescribed time period, the city or county may request one additional
extension of time, which shall not exceed one year, if the director
determines that the city or county has made substantial progress
toward the completion of the general plan. This subdivision shall not
apply to an extension of time granted pursuant to subdivision (b).
(g) An extension of time granted pursuant to this section for the
preparation and adoption of all or part of a city or county general
plan is exempt from Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of
the Public Resources Code.