A study session is a public meeting where the Planning Commission or City Council receives information about a topic and provides feedback. During the study session, staff presents information, and the Planning Commission or City Council may ask questions and provide comments.

Yes. Study sessions are public meetings. Community members are welcome to participate by providing comments in accordance with public meeting procedures.

No. A study session is not a public hearing and is informational only. No formal action or decision is made.

A development concept proposal is a preliminary development concept for how a property could be developed. It typically includes the following:

• Project description
• Conceptual site plan illustrating the development concept on the property
• General project information, such as the site size, proposed land uses, number of residential units (if applicable), development density, building height, and floor area
• Illustrations that help communicate the overall design intent and character of the development concept

These materials are intended to communicate the general vision for a development concept. Detailed design or construction plans are not typically included.

Developers often seek early feedback on development concept proposals from the Community Development Department before deciding whether to submit a formal entitlement application. In some cases, a proposal may require legislative actions, such as a General Plan amendment or rezoning, or may involve land uses that warrant early review due to their complexity, scale or potential community interest. These projects typically require public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council, with the City Council making the final decision.

Because these actions involve significant policy decisions, a study session provides the City Council an opportunity to receive information about the proposal and provide early, conceptual feedback to help the applicant determine whether and how to move forward with a formal entitlement application.

After the application is submitted, staff reviews the application for completeness, identifies applicable General Plan and zoning considerations, and identifies potential discretionary or legislative actions that may be required. For proposals with a residential component, staff also reviews the applicant’s approach to meeting the City's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. Staff does not provide formal comments on the application to the applicant.

No. The application review for a study session is not the same as a formal entitlement application review. The review does not include the detailed technical analysis that is completed during a formal entitlement application review process. Staff does not evaluate whether the proposal complies with applicable City requirements, including but not limited to:

• Consistency with General Plan policies and programs
• Compliance with development and design standards in the Zoning Code
• Compliance with the City's Inclusionary Ordinance
• Compliance with the Subdivision Map Act
• Environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including technical studies such as, but not limited to, transportation, air quality, noise, biological resources, and other environmental topics
• Fiscal impacts

No. A City Council study session does not indicate that the City Council supports or opposes a development concept proposal. The purpose of the study session is for the City Council to receive information and provide high level, conceptual feedback only. Because no formal entitlement application has been submitted or reviewed, the City Council cannot make a decision on whether a project should be approved or denied. Proposals requiring legislative actions would be required to go through the City's formal entitlement review process, which would include public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council.

After a study session, the applicant may:

1. Choose to revise the development concept proposal based on the feedback received and submit a formal entitlement application; or
2. Decide not to move forward with the proposal.

If the applicant submits a formal entitlement application, the proposal would go through the City's formal entitlement review process. During that process, the project would undergo a comprehensive review for consistency with applicable City policies and regulations. Issues raised by community members would also be considered as part of staff's review and analysis and presented to the Planning Commission and City Council.

The entitlement review process would also include multiple opportunities for public participation, such as community meetings, public review periods, and public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. Staff's analysis and recommendations, together with comments received from the community and stakeholders, would be provided to the Planning Commission and City Council before any decision is made.

No. Most development proposals proceed directly through the City's entitlement process. Applications to request a study session on a development concept proposal are not always recommended or scheduled. They are reviewed on a case-by-case basis for suitability.