Planning Commission

  • News & Notification

Overview

The Planning Commission consist of seven members and serves as an advisory body in accordance to SCMC 2.40.061:

  • After a public hearing, recommend to the City Council the adoption, amendment or repeal of a master plan for the physical development of the City;
  • Review land subdivisions;
  • Make recommendations concerning the consistency of public works with the general plan, and for the clearance and rebuilding of blighted or substandard areas within the city;
  • Carry out such administrative and appellate duties with reference to zoning matters as may be required by ordinance or resolution. To this end, all references in this code to the zoning board shall be construed to apply to the planning commission.

The Director of the Planning and Community Development Department ("Planning Director") serves as the Secretary to the Planning Commission and ensures that commissioners receive the necessary information and analysis for carrying out their duties. For more information, please contact the Administrative Assistant supporting the Commission, Tess Fitzgerald, at cityplan@santacruzca.gov or 831-420-5110.

Meetings

The Planning Commission meetings are scheduled for the first and third Thursday of each month in-person at the City Hall at Council Chambers located at 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM.

Bylaws, Policy, and Code

The Planning Commission is governed by the rules established in its bylaws and procedures:

Members

Below are the members of the Planning Commission. For additional details of dates of appointments and expirations, please review the advisory board roster:

  • Michael Polhamus (Chair)
  • Rachel Dann (Vice Chair)
  • Timerie Gordon
  • Pete Kennedy
  • John McKelvey
  • Matthew Thompson
  • Carolyn Book-Kelley

Information for Prospective Members

Members of the Planning Commission are appointed by the City Council. Each term of office is four years. A member may be appointed to complete an unexpired term. If you are interested in joining the Planning Commission, please view the current openings and submit an application.

Submitting Public Comments

Email Public Comment

If you would like to connect with the Commission regarding an upcoming agenda item, please email cityplan@cityofsantacruz.com.

Comments for Significant Projects

Some agenda items are considered Significant Projects and have dedicated webpages with information including plan sets and past community meetings. To comment on a Significant Project, please search for the Project.

Ex-parte Communication Not Permitted

Per the Planning Commission by-laws, all oral communications between the Planning Commissioners and applicants and the public regarding any application pending before the Commission shall take place at public meetings of the Commission. Therefore, ex-parte communication is not permitted. All written correspondence must be submitted to through the Planning and Community Development Department and will be posted to the agenda.

Submitting an Appeal

Appeals may be filed in accordance with SCMC 24.04.180 through 24.04.183.

  1. Submit a written notice of appeal and fee payment (except development projects which are appealable to the Coastal Commission where no fee will be charged).
  2. Submit to the City Clerk's Office no later than ten (10) calendar days following the date of action from which such appeal is being taken, unless otherwise specified in Code Section 24.04. If the final day for filing an appeal occurs on a weekend day or holiday the final filing date shall be extended to the following workday.

Coastal Permits

Projects that require a Coastal Permit are appealable to the California Coastal Commission after all possible appeals are exhausted through the City.

Viewing Past Meetings

Archived Videos

You can watch past Planning Commission meetings in several ways, including:

  1. Video Link : After the meeting has closed, what once read as a "LIVE" meeting will read "VIDEO" once the meeting is complete. Select the link for the meeting date you wish to watch.
  2. CTV Video On Demand

For Planning Commission meetings before 8/17/2017, please submit a Public Information Request.

Signing up for Notifications

To sign up for notifications, please visit the "News" section and subscribe to "Planning Commission".

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