The information listed herein is intended for general information purposes only and should not be used in place of adopted County ordinances and regulations. Please contact the Planning and Environmental Review at sacplan@saccounty.gov for information regarding specific regulations or before submitting an application. Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment with the Planning front counter of the Building Assistance Center.
Planning and Environmental Review cannot provide information on building permits. Please contact Building Permits and Inspection with building permit related inquiries.
Use our Sacramento County Online Map to determine if you are located within the Unincorporated Area of the County of Sacramento. Contact information for other jurisdictions within the County can be found on our City Planning Departments Page. If you are in incorporated city limits, we cannot provide information on your inquiry.
A Use Permit, also known as a Conditional Use Permit or Special Use Permit, allows specific land uses in zones not normally allowed for a particular site to ensure that the proposed use is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
Minor Use Permits typically have less impact on adjacent properties than a Conditional Use Permit, require less intensive review, and may be approved by planning staff, upon compliance with staff recommendations and conditions for approval. Unlike a Conditional Use Permit, Minor Use Permits do not require a public hearing.
A Special Development Permit is a discretionary permit which may be granted by the appropriate authority to provide greater flexibility from and alternatives to development standards, minimum lot area and lot width, and minimum public street frontage in any zoning district.
Discretionary entitlement applications, such as Use Permits, Special Development Permits, Tentative Parcel Maps, Rezones, etc. can take anywhere from six to twelve or more months to process. This timeline includes review of application for completeness, comments from internal and external agencies, public hearings and notices, and the preparation of necessary planning and environmental documents. Lower level discretionary permits, such as Minor Use Permits, and administrative permits can take anywhere from a few weeks to four months to process.
A mailed notice of a public hearing is sent to property owners who are adjacent to a property with a proposed entitlement application. It is generally encouraged that you review the mailed notice and visit our Planning Projects Viewer to find more information regarding the project. You may also contact us at sacplan@saccounty.net or via the contact information on the mailed notice for more information about the project. Please include the Control Number in all correspondence regarding a proposal.
Comments for projects can be submitted to our office directly or sent via email to either sacplan@saccounty.gov or to the staff person assigned to the project. Comments can be mailed to our office at:
Planning and Environmental Review
827 7th Street, Room 225
Sacramento, CA 95814
Please refer to our SB 9 page for more information.
Please review our Residential Accessory Uses section below. An Accessory Dwelling Unit, commonly known as a “granny-flat" or “mother-in-law's quarters" is allowed up to 850 square-feet if one bedroom or 1,000 square-feet if two bedrooms or more in most zones.
Yes. Please review the Accessory Dwelling Units section below for development standards and permitting requirements.
Yes. In most cases, manufactured homes are allowed as either a primary residence or an accessory dwelling unit, subject to the standards of Sacramento County Zoning Code Section 3.5.1.E., which can be found in Chapter 3 of the Zoning Code.
Tiny homes, or homes that are either moveable or much smaller than average single-family dwellings, are not allowed unless they are placed on a permanent foundation and meet residential building codes.
Yes. In most cases, you may construct a detached garage, subject to the required development standards for setbacks, size, and height requirements. Please review our Residential Accessory Structures section below for more information.
Yes. Please contact Building Permits and Inspections at (916) 875-5599 for information regarding necessary permits.
Yes. Please contact Building Permits and Inspections at (916) 875-5599 for information regarding necessary permits.
Duplexes or halfplexes are allowed by right in the RD-10 zone, the RD-15 through RD-40 zones, and in the RM-2 zone. A duplex or halfplex is allowed by right on corner lots in the RD-5 zone. A Use Permit by the Zoning Administrator is required to allow duplexes or halfplexes on interior lots in the RD-5 zone.
Pursuant to Sacramento County Zoning Code Section 5.2.5, fences in the front yard (i.e. first 20 feet from the back of the sidewalk) generally must adhere to the following regulations:
Side-street yard fences cannot exceed seven feet in height, measured from the elevation of the sidewalk, or if no sidewalk, the road. Please review Zoning Code Section 5.2.5.B. for exceptions and more regulations.
Setback requirements for the construction of new structures or for the modification of existing structures depends on the Zoning and proposed use of the structure. Below is a listing of the most commonly referenced Development Standards Sections below along with the appropriate Zoning Code Section:
Single-Family Development Standards (Section 5.4.2.C.) – see page 5-37
Please note that if your project is located within a Neighborhood Preservation Area (NPA), Special Planning Area (SPA), Specific Plan, Combining Zone, or Planned Unit Development (PUD) your setbacks may be different than the standards listed in the Zoning Code sections listed above. Please email sacplan@saccounty.gov if your property is located within an NPA, SPA, Specific Plan, Combining Zone, PUD, or if you have questions.
Development Standards are specific regulations, codes, or policies that dictate how you may develop a property. Chapter 5 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code contains most of the Development Standards for structures and development within Sacramento County.
The development standards (setbacks, height restrictions, etc.) can be found in Chapter 5 of the Zoning Code:
Height requirements can be found in Chapter 5 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code. Typical single-family residential homes can be up to 30 feet tall. Residential accessory structures are typically required to be 16 feet tall or less. Please contact us at sacplan@saccounty.gov to verify height requirements in all zoning districts.
Please contact the Building Permits and Inspection division at (916) 875-5599 to request historical building permits.
The Office of Planning and Environmental Review does not prepare or provide site plans or plot plans.
Yes. The keeping of egg-laying chickens or ducks is considered an Incidental Agriculture Use and is allowed in most residential zoning districts, pursuant to the provisions of Sacramento County Zoning Code 3.9.3.G which can be found in Chapter 3 of the Zoning Code.
Typically, an average RD-5 residential lot may keep one egg-laying chicken or duck per 1,000 square-feet of parcel area or 200 square-feet of rear yard area, whichever is less. These animals must be kept at least 20 feet from all neighboring residential dwellings and must have a covered coop or roost. Roosters or crowing fowl are allowed on lots greater than 10,000 square-feet.
You may keep horses on a hobby-type basis on agricultural-residential and residential lots 20,000 square-feet or greater.
Yes. Short-term rentals are allowed in a primary single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling units (if constructed with a building permit before January 1, 2020) as an accessory use as long as the property owner or a long-term tenant lives on the property at least six months out of the year. Please review the Short-Term Rental Permits webpage.
No. Pursuant to Sacramento County Zoning Code Section 3.9.3.K., motor vehicles and equipment used for, or designed primarily for, commercial, industrial or agricultural purposes with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of ten thousand pounds or more, and trailers used for, or designed primarily for, commercial, industrial or agricultural purposes, cannot be parked or stored on any agricultural-residential, residential or interim residential zoned property except when loading, unloading, or rendering service.
Please review Sacramento County Zoning Code Section 3.9.3.F. for examples of allowed, restricted, or prohibited home occupations. Section 3.9.3.F. can be found in Chapter 3 of the Zoning Code.
Please contact Business Licensing at (916) 874-6644 for business license questions. You can apply for a business license online through the Department of Finance website.
Please review Chapter 3 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code for allowed, conditionally allowed, and prohibited uses.
Commercial cannabis activities are prohibited within the County of Sacramento. Industrial Hemp cultivation is permitted in the AG-20 through AG-160 (Agricultural) zones, and in the M-1 and M-2 (Industrial) zones.
A Use Permit by the Planning Commission is required for auto sales in the GC, M-1, and M-2 zones and is not allowed in the LC or SC zones. A Use Permit by the Planning Commission is a discretionary permit which costs $14,862 (as of January, 2020) and takes approximately seven to nine months to process and includes public hearings, noticing, and environmental review.
Information about cell towers, or wireless communication facilities, can be found in Section 3.6.7. of Chapter 3 of the Zoning Code.
Find codes listed under the 'Zoning' section of 'Parcel Details'.
You can check the zoning of a property on the Sacramento County Online Map Parcel Viewer. Please refer to Chapter 2 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code (SZC) for descriptions of current zoning districts.
The “SPA" zoning district stands for “Special Planning Area." Special Planning Areas are areas within the County of Sacramento identified by the Board of Supervisors as having unique development standards and use regulations that cannot be achieved by the standard Zoning Code. The “NPA" zoning district stands for “Neighborhood Preservation Area." Neighborhood Preservation Areas are areas identified by the Board of Supervisors as having a unique character that the residents of the area would like to preserve through alternative development standards. A list of all SPA / NPA plans are available on our website.
An applicant can apply for a Rezone of a property to change the zoning district. This process is considered a discretionary action and involves public hearings, public noticing, and environmental review. A Rezone can typically cost $24,000 or more in application fees and can take nine months or longer to process. It is highly recommended that an applicant apply for a Pre-Application Meeting prior to filing for a Rezone.
An applicant can apply for a Tentative Parcel Map or Tentative Subdivision Map to divide a property. A Tentative Parcel Map will typically allow an applicant to divide a lot into four or fewer parcels, if approved. A Tentative Subdivision Map will allow an applicant to divide a lot into five or more parcels, if approved. All proposed parcels must meet the minimum lot size, width, and development standards of its zoning district.
For example, an applicant with a four-acre property, zoned AR-2, wants to split their lot into two parcels. As indicated in Chapter 2 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code, the AR-2 zoning district has a minimum lot size of two acres. The applicant would apply for a Tentative Parcel Map to divide the four-acre lot into two two-acre lots. They could not request to divide the four-acre lot into three lots as the proposed lots would not meet the minimum lot size standards for the AR-2 zone.
The Office of Planning and Environmental Review does not verify property boundaries nor settle civil disputes regarding property lines. Please contact the County Engineering Division, Survey Section at (916) 874-6546 or by email at dsssurveysweb@SacCounty.gov for a list of recently active licensed Land Surveyors who can be contracted to survey lots and verify property boundaries.
Yes. You can perform minor repairs (such as oil changes, brake pad replacement, etc.) on personal vehicles (owned by the property owner or by someone residing on the property) using tools normally found in a residence within a fully enclosed space or garage.
Please contact Code Enforcement at 916-874-6444 or by email at SacCode@SacCounty.gov for more information regarding violation notices.
To obtain a Zoning Verification or Burn Down Letter, please submit a complete Research Request Application form and a check for $165.11 to the Office of Planning and Environmental Review, either by mail at:
Please allow three weeks for processing.
CEQA stands for California Environmental Quality Act. The state law was enacted in 1970 for protection of environmental resources.
The basic purposes of CEQA are to:
CEQA only applies to projects that require discretionary approval by a government agency. A discretionary approval requires the use of judgment on the part of the approver. For example, if you want to change the zoning on your property to subdivide the land for a housing development, a discretionary action would need to be taken by the Board of Supervisors. This simply means that the Board of Supervisors has a choice to either approve or disapprove your request.
A project is a proposal (or any part of a proposal) requiring discretionary approval, which may result in physical changes to the environment. The CEQA Guidelines provide a clear definition of a project (Link to definition of a project). Some examples of projects are applications to change adopted plans (i.e. general plan and community plan amendments), road widening projects, use permit requests, and subdivisions of property. The term "project" refers to the activity that causes the environmental damage.
Public projects are initiated by a state or local agency. Road construction, levee repairs, and sewage treatment plant expansions are examples of public projects. A private project is initiated by an individual, company, landowner, developer, or other entity that needs public agency approval before completing a project. Subdivisions, rezones, and use permits are examples of private projects.
CEQA provides a list of projects that are considered exempt from environmental review. Emergency repairs, school closings, studies, water hookups in existing neighborhoods, and remodels in existing buildings are examples of actions generally not subject to CEQA review.
CEQA permits certain types of projects that are not expected to damage the environment to be exempt from environmental review requirements. Some examples of exempt classes of projects, known as Categorical Exemptions, are:
There are other exemptions under CEQA known as Statutory Exemptions. These are projects exempt from CEQA as determined by the State Legislature. Some exemptions are complete exemptions from CEQA. Other exemptions apply only to part of the requirements of CEQA, and still others apply to the timing of compliance. General Rule Exemptions are sometimes applied to proposals that are clearly not expected to harm the environment, but do not fit into any of the specified exemptions categories of CEQA. Even if a project is listed as an exempt class, it will be subject to environmental review if the agency determines that special circumstances exist that could result in environmental damage. For example, a small parcel split that may otherwise be a candidate for an Exemption happens to be in the floodplain, contains special habitat, has a historic building, or other special characteristics that would trigger the need for environmental review. A project proposed on such a parcel is not likely to qualify for an exemption.
All public agencies are required to adopt specific criteria, objectives and procedures for implementing CEQA. Procedures must include a list of Exemption types that are most frequently used by the agency. The agency must also explain how it makes environmental determinations, processes different types of documents, interacts with other agencies, maintains files, and other activities. Some jurisdictions adopt the state prepared CEQA guidelines as their CEQA procedures. Sacramento County has drafted and adopted its own CEQA Procedures for Preparation and Processing Environmental Documents. You may download a PDF copy of our procedures.
No. However, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a federal law, requires that federal agencies take their own steps to assess potential environmental damage and eliminate impacts, if possible. Sometimes, federal, state and local agencies join together and process CEQA and NEPA documents. This approach generally saves time and money, or at a minimum, makes sure that agencies are aware of each other's actions, analyses and concerns.
An example of a project that might need permits from both a federal agency (triggering NEPA review) and a local agency (requiring CEQA review) is a Use Permit request that includes a proposal to fill federally protected wetlands. In this situation, two courses of action could be followed. The two agencies could prepare a joint environmental document, or each agency could prepare separate reviews. CEQA encourages the preparation of joint NEPA/CEQA reviews. It is often to the applicant's advantage to encourage or agree to joint reviews.
The State Clearinghouse is an environmental review distribution center for state agencies. The State Office of Planning and Research handles this function. Clearinghouse staff distributes copies of environmental documents to state agencies so that they can provide comments and advice to the agency processing the environmental review. Sometimes, the state agency has responsibility for natural resources protection, such as minerals, air or water, which may be affected by a project. In order to safeguard resources, that agency may wish to comment on a project and suggest alternatives or protective measures (mitigations) which will reduce or eliminate environmental damage. Sometimes a state agency is tracking a certain type of project or simply has a special expertise that may prove useful to the processing agency. If a project appears to need review, or is of statewide or regional significance, it is sent to the Clearinghouse. Whenever this occurs, public review deadlines are extended to allow sufficient time for agency review. State agencies return their comments to the State Clearinghouse who then forwards them to the processing agency.
Sometimes more than one agency has the responsibility for approving portions of a project. For example, Sacramento County might approve a subdivision for a housing project. Later, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) may need to approve annexation to the sanitation district so that the houses can be connected to sewer lines. Both approvals may require environmental review. When the applicant or agency knows in advance that additional approvals are required, it is possible to combine the environmental reviews into a single document. In the example given above, Sacramento County is termed the "Lead Agency" for the proposed subdivision because it had the principle responsibility for approving or carrying out the project. The Local Agency Formation Commission is termed the " Responsible Agency", which refers to any public agency that approves portions of a project proposal for which a Lead Agency has prepared an environmental review. CEQA encourages all agencies with approving authority over any part of a project to work together so environmental reviews take the least time possible to prepare. In the best cases, the Lead Agency will be able to:
If this process is effective, the Responsible Agency can use the Lead Agency's document. In other words, no new document will need to be prepared. Sometimes more than one document may need to be prepared. Some of the reasons for this are:
It is in the applicant's best interest to meet with the Lead Agency to find out which agencies may be Responsible Agencies for a project, and to encourage use of CEQA's Lead/Responsible Agency time and resource saving strategy.
An Initial Study is a preliminary analysis of a project intended to:
An Initial Study is used to make a determination if potentially significant impacts would occur and if so to identify mitigation measures to reduce impacts to less than significant levels. In Sacramento County, an Initial Study consists of a written report (generally 10-30 pages in length) that addresses such issues as land use, access/circulation, traffic generation, drainage, air quality, noise, biological resources, impacts to trees, cultural resources, provision of public services, etc. An Initial Study Checklist is part of the report and provides a summary of potential environmental impacts in each area analyzed.
The term " significant adverse impact" means substantial damage to the physical environment. Harmful changes to land, water, air, plants, wildlife, mineral resources, noise levels, and cultural resources are examples of physical impacts which are to be avoided whenever possible. Projects that substantially pollute water supply, use prime farmland for nonagricultural purposes, cause substantial flooding, erosion, or siltation, or affect rare and endangered species generally result in significant adverse impacts upon the environment. In some cases, generally accepted or adopted thresholds of significance are used. If thresholds are exceeded, a determination of significant impact is made.
Independent judgment and local circumstances also come into play in deciding whether a project may have the potential to cause substantial environmental harm. During the evaluation process, damage will be assessed and quantified so that scientifically based findings of significant impact can be accurately reported. Sometimes, significant impacts are identified which can be eliminated or significantly reduced using various strategies called mitigation measures (see next question).
A mitigation measure is a requirement that is placed on a project to reduce or eliminate environmental damage that will be caused by building the project. For example, if a development causes the removal of native oaks trees, there may be a requirement to redesign the project to save more trees as well as a requirement to replace those trees that could not be saved. Another example of a mitigation measure is to build a sound wall between a housing project and a noisy street to reduce traffic noise impacts.
A mitigation monitoring and reporting program (MMRP) is required by state law to insure that mitigation measures imposed on a project are actually carried-out as intended. It is essentially the insurance policy that damage to the environment will indeed be lessened or prevented. The MMRP outlines specific steps to be taken by the project proponent to implement each measure and staff are assigned to check that each step is done correctly and completely. In Sacramento County, the project proponent pays a fee to cover the cost of administering the MMRP. When all the mitigation measures have been implemented, a program completion certificate is issued. The length of time it takes to complete the process varies with the complexity of the measures and is mainly driven by how quickly the project proponent chooses to move ahead.
The term Negative Declaration is sometimes misunderstood. A Negative Declaration is simply a statement that a project will not create significant environmental harm, or that environmental damage has been mitigated to a less than significant level. A Negative Declaration (ND) is issued after an Initial Study has been prepared. It is a "positive" outcome for the project. If a project is approved with the use of a Negative Declaration, a Notice of Determination will be filed at the County Clerk's Office stating that your project will not have a significant effect on the environment.
When an Initial Study indicates that a project has the potential to "significantly" damage the environment, CEQA requires that an EIR be prepared. An EIR is an informational document to be used by the public and by decision makers when making choices about projects. CEQA does not require technical perfection in an EIR, but rather adequacy, completeness, and a good faith effort at full disclosure. In an EIR, significant environmental damages (also called effects or impacts) are identified; methods (mitigation measures) for reducing or avoiding damage are identified; and project alternatives are developed which seek to reduce or avoid environmental damage. The EIR process has many steps or procedures. Some of them, in order of occurrence, are:
Prior to actual preparation of an EIR, the applicant is notified by certified mail that an Initial Study has been conducted identifying potentially significant impacts that led to the determination that the project will require the preparation of an EIR. After receiving the letter, you may discuss the issue with the County Environmental Coordinator or accept the determination and proceed. If you're not satisfied with the decision of the Environmental Coordinator, you may appeal the environmental determination. An appeal must be filed with the Board of Supervisors within 10 days of receipt of the determination notice. A public hearing will be held to address your concerns. Any applicant may appeal decisions to prepare any of the types of documents (Exemptions, Negative Declarations, and EIRs) issued under CEQA.
Anyone may comment on the adequacy of the environmental document. To challenge the Negative Declaration, one must present substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the County, that the project will have a significant impact on the environment. County staff will respond to the comments and make the comments and responses available to the decision making body for their consideration. Sometimes, when the evidence is compelling enough, a new environmental analysis is conducted. That analysis may result in finding significant impacts requiring the preparation of an EIR or a revised Negative Declaration with added mitigation measures may suffice.
An EIR was prepared for a project in my neighborhood. Environmental damage is expected to be substantial and can't be reduced or eliminated. Doesn't CEQA stop a public agency from approving projects that harm the environment? Aren't they required to mitigate environmental damages? When the state legislature passed CEQA, it was aware that some environmental damage would be caused by growth related activities. CEQA was designed to make sure that decision makers and the public knew how much, if any, environmental damage would be caused by a particular project or group of projects. The legislature made it clear that they expected agencies to reduce or eliminate environmental harm whenever possible. An agency is permitted to approve projects that cause significant environmental damage. However, the agency must make findings that clearly explain the circumstances surrounding the project analysis and the approval. Then, the agency must explain their decision to approve the project, despite expected environmental damage, by adopting a Statement of Overriding Considerations. This type of statement points out the reasons why the decision makers felt a project's benefits outweigh its environmental costs. Decision makers may find impacts "acceptable" based on specific economic, legal, technological reasons or other benefits of a proposed project.
CEQA does contain some processing time requirements. For example, for private projects, an agency has 30 days to check an application and let you know if additional information is required (this process is commonly referred to as "884 review"). This requirement can be extended 15 days with the applicant's consent. A Negative Declaration for "certain private projects" should be completed within 180 days from the date the application was deemed complete (CEQA Guidelines §15107); EIRs should be completed in one year. Time limits may be extended under certain circumstances, such as a delay by the applicant, joint NEPA/CEQA document preparation, or the need for special processing actions, such as preparation of a complex technical drainage analysis, which cannot be completed within the specified time limits. In the latter case, an application may be considered incomplete for processing purposes until major informational components can be obtained. As for the actual PER review process, the specific amount of staff hours and time frame are difficult to peg because each project is unique and may be affected by different circumstances. A typical Initial Study/Negative Declaration for a simple project, such as an 8-lot subdivision map, may take only about 20 hours of total staff time because there are only three or four minor issues to investigate. A more complex project may require significant research, computer modeling, tree or wetland preservation plan analysis, have long public review periods or possess other characteristics which increase both staff hours and length of processing time. In either case, it is important to keep in mind that the actual processing time frame may span several weeks or even months. About 12 to 18 weeks is typical for a Negative Declaration. A typical EIR may take up to a year to complete. These time frames are in keeping with the legal time limits of CEQA noted above.
Once PER is finished with the environmental review, the project manager can prepare the staff report for the hearing body/bodies. The environmental document only presents the results of an objective review based on facts. The staff report is the document that contains extensive staff analysis on the merits of the project and the recommendation as to whether a project should be approved or denied. The recommendation is based in part on the findings of the environmental review, but also takes into account other considerations such as recommendation from the local community planning advisory council, land use compatibility and consistency with established land use policies. The actual decision to approve or deny a project rests with one or more of the following hearing bodies: Board of Supervisors, County Planning Commissions, Subdivision Review Committee, or Zoning Administrator. In limited cases, such as grading permits, the Public Works Administrator (or designee) has approval authority. For public projects, the initiating departments (Public Works, Airports, Parks, etc.) make recommendations and the Board of Supervisors is the approving body.
Public hearings are not specifically required under CEQA. Sacramento County has adopted procedures that require a public hearing for Draft EIRs to provide an opportunity for oral comment by interested parties. During those hearings, County hearing bodies accept testimony on the environmental document, as well as the project itself.
The heart of CEQA is public disclosure. Public review is considered one of the most important parts of the CEQA process. Public notice and review are CEQA requirements. The County is required to mail notices to the last known name and address of all organizations and individuals who have previously requested such notice in writing. In addition, notice is published in a newspaper of general circulation and posted with the County Clerk Recorder's office. For private projects, the County also provides notice of public hearing, which specifies the environmental document type. Another way to stay informed of upcoming projects is through your local Community Planning and Advisory Councils (CPAC webpage). Anyone can and is encouraged to comment upon the adequacy of environmental documents. For projects with the potential to cause serious environmental damage, an agency is required to respond in writing to public concerns. The public review period for Negative Declarations is 20-30 days depending upon the project. The review period for an EIR ranges from 30-45 days again depending upon project characteristics. For example, if an EIR requires review by state agencies, the review period will be at least 45 days. Public notices specify due dates for comments for each project.
Sacramento County bills applicants for actual processing costs as permitted under CEQA. Staff time, publishing and consultant fees, printing and overhead expenses, and other related costs are charged to process Negative Declarations and EIRs. A small flat rate is charged for processing of Exemptions. The billing process is different depending upon the type of document that is prepared. For private projects, the fee for an Exemption is generally collected as a DERA deposit when the application is filed with the Planning Department. The fees for Negative Declarations are normally billed after an environmental review is completed and must be paid prior to the project's public hearing. Because EIRs can be expensive, the County estimates EIR preparation fees before processing occurs. This estimated fee amount is conveyed to the applicant in the same certified letter determining the need for an EIR. These estimated fees must be paid before the Environmental Coordinator will issue a Notice of Preparation and begin processing the EIR. After the EIR process is completed, a project cost accounting will be done and the applicant will either receive a bill for payment due or a refund depending on actual project cost.
A State law took effect on January 1, 1991 that requires public agencies to collect fees for the State Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) under certain conditions. CDFW fees are collected whenever a project is found to not be de minimis. The term " de minimis" in this context means that the project will not harm state fish and wildlife resources. In Sacramento County, projects are sent to the State Clearinghouse for distribution to the CDFW whenever there is cause to believe that a project may not be de minimis. Whenever a project is reviewed by CDFW, the applicant is assessed a set fee by the State. These fees are set by the State and change at the first of the year. Included in the total fee collected is $50 to cover County Clerk-Recorder administrative processing costs (PER receives no part of the CDFW fee). The rest is forwarded to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Under state law, no project is deemed vested or approved until a Notice of Determination is filed at the County Clerk's office that states whether a project is expected to impact wildlife resources. If a project is not de minimis, the County Clerk will not accept a Notice of Determination for filing unless Fish and Game fees are paid.
Yes, pre-application meetings are available as a means of facilitating the application process for prospective applicants. Pre-application meetings are intended to provide upfront assistance to private project applicants in a coordinated forum attended by PER and Public Works representatives. The intent of the pre-application meeting is to identify, not solve, issues and to advise potential applicants of application requirements, what agencies/departments to talk to, answer applicant's questions, and to advise applicant of feasibility and pitfalls. These meetings are voluntary but highly encouraged, especially for major development projects, such as General Plan Amendments, and large Community Plan Amendments and Rezones. This is a good opportunity for you to get an indication of the feasibility of your proposal.
To schedule a pre-application meeting contact:
Planning and Environmental Review
827 7th Street, Room 225
Sacramento, CA 95814
Email: sacplan@saccounty.net.