Chapter 18.64 — SP SPECIFIC PLAN ZONE

• A. The SP specific plan zone is intended to provide for the classification and development of parcels of land as a coordinated, comprehensive project in order to create a superior environment resulting from site specific community planning.

• B. The regulations established therein are intended to allow residential, commercial or industrial land uses and development standards created specifically for the project area while ensuring compliance with the spirit, intent and provisions of this code, the general plan of the city and state laws. Guidelines, regulations and development standards incorporated in any specific plan zone are intended to achieve the following:

  1. To respond sensitively to the natural and built environment and increase amenities to serve the inhabitants and surrounding community areas;

  2. To minimize the alteration of existing land-forms and preserve significant natural features and vegetation unique to the city;

  3. To conserve the historic and scenic qualities of the city;

  4. To provide an enriched environment with aesthetic cohesiveness and harmonious massing of structures within a framework of natural and landscaped open space through the utilization of superior land planning and architectural design;

  5. To minimize the intrusion of new development into environmentally sensitive areas;

  6. To protect new development from adverse visual impacts and excessive noise from nearby off-site structures and transportation corridors.

• (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

• A. The uses, types of development and development standards in an area zoned specific plan are those permitted by the specific plan for that area. Specific plans adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be the official zoning of the city and shall become part of the municipal code.

• B. If land is placed in the specific plan zone before a specific plan is adopted for that land, the standards of the immediately preceding zoning shall continue to apply until a specific plan is adopted.

• C. Notwithstanding any provision of any specific plan to the contrary, the following uses are allowed in all specific plan zones/areas where mixed uses are allowed as well as nonresidential areas which permit multifamily uses, subject to the same requirements as the multifamily uses:

  1. Low barrier navigation centers that meet the requirements of Section 18.86.120 ; and

  2. Supportive housing that meets the requirements of Section 18.86.110 .

(Ord. 752 § 3, 1988; Ord. 25-1129, 2/18/2025)

Specific plans are authorized by California Government Code Section 65450 et seq. which enables cities to adopt specific plans, specifies minimum contents, provides for fees, and allows environmental exemptions for certain projects implementing the specific plan. (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

• A. The SP specific plan zone shall be delineated on the La Verne Zoning Map and each specific plan shall be identified on the map with an assigned number.

• B. Specific plan approval shall be required for hillside projects greater than ten acres. In other areas, specific plans shall be required only where they conclusively promote better planning than can be obtained through conventional zoning.

• (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

Because specific plans are required to be detailed, regulatory documents, specific plans shall be adopted by ordinance in accordance with Chapter 18.112 of this code. (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

• A. New Specific Plans.

  1. An application for a specific plan shall be filed with the community development department together with a filing fee as established by resolution of the city council.

  2. Specific plans shall be prepared, processed, reviewed and adopted in the same manner as the General Plan.

• B. Amendments to Specific Plans.

  1. Specific plans shall be amended in same manner as the general plan except that they may be amended as often as deemed necessary. An application for an amendment to a specific plan shall be filed with the community development department together with a filing fee as established by resolution of the city council.

• (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

• A. In addition to state requirements as specified in the California Government Code Section 65450 et seq., the contents listed below shall be included in all specific plans. Items which the applicant demonstrates to be clearly not applicable or relevant to the specific plan application under consideration need not be included unless required by the community development director or designee.

B. Specific Plan Contents.

1. Title, table of contents, acknowledgements;

2. Summary;

3. Introduction:

   • a. Initiator of plan,

   • b. Purpose and intent,

   • c. Site location, brief description and maps,

   • d. Project history/background,

   • e. Relationship to neighboring jurisdictions, regional agencies and the state,

   • f. Environmental assessment,

   • g. Related applications and documents;

4. Detailed description of site:

   • a. Topography,

   • b. Geology/soils,

   • c. Hydrology,

   • d. Biological resources,

   • e. Land use,

   • f. General Plan and zoning designations,

   • g. Circulation,

   • h. Cultural resources,

   • i. Public services, j. Utilities,

   • k. Site summary,

   • l. Appropriate maps and diagrams;

5. Specific plan concepts:

   • a. Project goals and objectives,

   • b. Opportunities and constraints,

   • c. Conceptual site plan/land use plan,

   • d. Transportation/circulation plan,

     • i. private ii. public iii. internal and affected external

     • iv. pedestrian, equestrian, vehicular and mass transit

   • e. Grading plan,

   • f. Public facilities/utilities plan,

     • i. sewage

     • ii. water

     • iii. drainage

     • iv. solid waste

     • v. energy

     • vi. utilities,

   • g. Recreation and open space plan,

   • h. Fire protection/fuel modification plan,

   • i. Natural and man-made resources protection,

   • j. Phasing program,

   • k. Home owners association,

   • l. Landscape plan,

   • m. Appropriate maps and diagrams,

   • n. Other appropriate conceptual plans;

6. Development regulations and requirements:

   • a. Development standards (commercial, residential, industrial, etc.),

   • b. Recreation and open space standards,

   • c. Parking,

   • d. Nonconformities,

   • e. Lighting standards,

   • f. Sign program,

   • g. Maintenance standards,

   • h. Standards for accessory structures, additions, walls, fences, other changes;

7. Design guidelines:

   • a. Architecture,

   • b. Landscape/streetscape,

   • c. Views,

   • d. Performance standards;

8. General plan consistency:

   • a. Applicable goals and policies,

   • b. How the specific plan meets the requirements of and implements the general plan;

   9. Implementation:

      • a. Phasing plan,

      • b. Precise plan review process,

      • c. Infrastructure improvements/coordination,

      • d. Financing measures,

      • e. Monitoring programs,

      • f. Administration of plan,

      • g. Amendment procedures.

• (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

• A. Specific plans for hillside areas shall comply with the provisions of the hillside development overlay zone.

• B. Development standards in specific plans for hillside areas shall not allow lot sizes smaller than those zones previously designated on the La Verne Zoning Map.

• (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)

• A. The development review committee shall recommend to the planning commission, the planning commission shall recommend to the city council and the city council shall approve, approve with conditions or deny adoption of the specific plan.

• B. Before recommending approval to the city council, the planning commission shall find the following:

  1. The specific plan meets state requirements as specified in Section 65450 et seq. of the California Government Code;

  2. The specific plan contains all necessary information as specified in Section 18.64.070 of this chapter;

  3. The specific plan establishes that it meets the requirements of and implements all applicable policies and implementation measures in the city General Plan;

  4. That use of a specific plan for the project provides a superior quality of development not otherwise available through conventional zoning tools.

• (Ord. 852 § 2, 1993)