Site Plan and Design Review

Site Plan and Design Review (SPDR)

  • Site Plan and Design Review is a planning permit that reviews the physical aspects of new construction. The purpose is to ensure that new development is of high quality and compatible with surrounding development. A SPDR permit is required for all new construction, building additions/remodels, and site improvements. Simple projects with minimal aesthetic impact may be exempt. Find the Planning Entitlement Application, fee worksheets, and exemption forms on the Planning Forms page.

SPDR permit applications may be decided at the Staff or Director level and are reviewed for consistency with the following:

  • Development standards in the Planning and Development Code, such as building setbacks and parking standards. 
  • Consistency with the principles and intent of applicable Design Guidelines (found below).
  • Compatibility with surrounding development and consistency with the General Plan.

Please use the Land Information Lookup Application (LILA) to determine if your property is located within a Design Review Area and which Design Review Guidelines (below) apply.

Design Review guidelines

  

Central city urban design guidelines

The guidelines have been extensively revised. The major organizational change is the division of the document into a series of Sections, which will incorporate all of the design guidelines governing design review in the Central City. Therefore, the Central City Urban Design Guidelines will exist as a compilation of all adopted guidelines for the Central City and each can be amended or new guidelines added, as required in the future.

Section 1 - Introduction

Section 2 - Central City Framework

Section 3 - Central Core Design Guidelines (Updated 4/19/2018)

Section 4 - Central City Neighborhood Design Guidelines (Includes Alhambra and R Street Corridors) (Updated 4/19/2018)

Section 5 - Railyards Design Guidelines

Section 6- River District Design Guidelines

Addenda

Design review and historic preservation

Design review staff review and take action on development projects within a design review area in accordance with the Design Review Code.

Historic Preservation protects historic and cultural resources and assists in the preservation, rehabilitation and awareness of historic and cultural resources. A preservation review and approval is regularly required when doing work to a structure that is declared a historic landmark, or is within a historic preservation district.

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