Ordinance No. 1076345
ORDINANCE NO. 1076
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
CALIFORNIA AMENDING SECTIONS 5.25.180 THROUGH 5.25.250 OF SECTION
25, ARTICLE 5 OF THE CYPRESS ZONING ORDINANCE (APPENDIX "A" OF THE
CYPRESS CITY CODE), (DELETING THE PROVISIONS FOR A
NONCONFORMING USES HEARING BOARD AND ESTABLISHING A ZONING
ADMINISTRATOR IN ITS PLACE).
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Cypress recognizes that an efficient
and effective method to address issues regarding nonconforming uses and structures is
necessary for the successful provision of services to the public; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Cypress desires to amend Sections
5.25.180 through 5.25.250 of the Cypress Zoning Ordinance in order to more efficiently
provide those services;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Cypress hereby ordains as
follows:
Section 1: That Sections 5.25.180 through 5.25.250 of the Cypress Zoning Code
are hereby amended to read as follows:
5.25.180 — Purpose of Abatement Procedures for Nonconforming Structures
A. Procedures for abatement of nonconformities. The provisions of this
Subsection are established to identify procedures for the abatement of uses,
structures, screening, signs, and antennas deemed to be nonconforming.
B. Zoning Administrator established. A Zoning Administrator is hereby
established for the purpose of considering City action to declare a use, structure,
screening, sign, or antenna to be nonconforming and to establish abatement
procedures consistent with the provisions of this Section. The Zoning
Administrator shall be the Community Development Director or the Director's
designee.
5.25.190 — Notice Required
A. Noticing by Director. Upon determination by the Director that the provisions
in this Section apply to a given parcel of land, the Director shall send a notice
regarding the parcel by a method guaranteeing certification of delivery to the
owner of the parcel, as shown on the County's latest equalized assessment roll.
The Director shall post the property with a similar notice and shall publish the
notice at least once in a newspaper of general circulation. Should the certified
notice be returned to the City for any reason, the City shall cause a copy of the
same to be mailed by regular first —class mail, with postage thereon fully paid, to
the property owner shown on the County's latest equalized assessment roll.
B. Content of required notice. The notice required in Subsection A., above shall
state that the property in question is a nonconformity, shall state the date of
abatement established in either Subsections 5.25.090 (Nonconforming Uses —
Abatement) or 5.25.140 (Nonconforming Structures — Abatement), above, shall
state that a hearing will be held before the Zoning Administrator and shall state
the date of the hearing.
5.25.200 — Hearing Required
A. Hearing within 60 days. Within 60 days after the issuance of the notice
prescribed in Subsection 5.25.190 (Notice Required), above, the Zoning
Administrator shall hold a public hearing to determine whether the nonconformity
should be abated or whether a time extension should be granted in compliance
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with Subsection 5.25.240 (Extension of Time), below. Notice shall be given to all
property owners in compliance with Section 26 (Public Hearings).
B. Receipt of written and oral testimony. The Zoning Administrator shall
receive written and oral testimony at the hearing with regard to abatement or
elimination of the nonconformity in compliance with the hearing procedures
identified in Section 26 (Public Hearings).
C. Determinations by Zoning Administrator
1. At the close of the public hearing, the Zoning Administrator shall find and
determine whether the nonconformity should be abated and all facts in support
thereof, whether the owner of the property can amortize their investment in the
term for abatement in compliance with Subsections 5.25.090 (Abatement of
Nonconforming Uses) and 5.25.140 (Abatement of Nonconforming Structures),
above, and if not, what term for abatement should be provided. The Zoning
Administrator shall base the decision as to the length of the permitted
amortization period on any competent evidence presented, included but not
limited to the depreciation schedule attached to the owner's latest Federal income
tax return.
2. The Zoning Administrator shall also find and determine whether the
nonconformity can economically be used in its present condition or if the
nonconformity can be successfully modified for a purpose allowed by the zoning
district in which it is located.
5.25.210 — Findings and Decision
A. The decision shall be in the form of a written order. The decision of the
Zoning Administrator and the findings in support of the decision shall be in the
form of a written order and shall be served to the property owner personally or by
a method guaranteeing proof of delivery within 10 days after the decision is
rendered.
B. Required findings. Findings shall be made as to whether or not the balancing
of the public interest and the request by the owner for alteration, continuance, or
expansion of the nonconformity of the subject property requires a deviation from
the development standards of this Zoning Ordinance.
5.25.220 — Rights of Appeal
A. Bogs decision may be appealed. The decision of the Zoning
Administrator may be appealed to the Council in compliance with Section 27
(Appeals). Any appeal timely filed shall be set for hearing in compliance with
Section 27.
B. Action of Council on appeal. The Council shall conduct the hearing in
compliance with Section 26 (Public Hearings) and may act to uphold, reverse, or
amend any decision of the Zoning Administrator. The decision of the Council
shall be final and conclusive.
C. Mailing of notice after appeal. Notice of the Council's decision shall be
mailed to the property owner or any other appellant within 10 days of the
Council's decision.
5.25.230 — Recordation of Order
After the conclusion of all appeals or, if no appeal is filed, after expiration of the
appeal period, the City Clerk shall cause notice of the decision to be recorded with
the County Recorder. The notice shall consist of a notice of zoning violation.
5.25.240 — Extension of Time
The Zoning Administrator or the Council on appeal, at its discretion, may grant an
extension of time for the abatement of nonconformity where it finds that an
unreasonable hardship would otherwise be imposed on the property owner.
5.25.250 — Relocation
In the event the Zoning Administrator, or the Council on appeal, finds that a
structure occupied by a nonconforming use, either in its present condition or as
modified, can be used, if the alterations occur for a use allowed in the subject
zoning district, the nonconforming use may be granted an extension sufficient to
permit it to relocate at a site where the use is allowed and which has substantially
equivalent utility for the use. In no event shall the extension be for more than a
total of 24 months.
Section 2. Severability. The City Council of the City of Cypress hereby
declares that should any section, paragraph, sentence or word of this ordinance of the
Code, hereby adopted, be declared for any reason to be invalid, it is the intent of the
Council that it would have passed all other portions of this ordinance independent of the
elimination herefrom of any such portion as may be declared invalid.
Section 3. Savings Clause. Neither the adoption of this ordinance nor the
repeal or renumbering of any other ordinance of this city shall in any manner affect the
prosecution for violations of ordinances, which violations were committed prior to the
effective date hereof, nor be construed as a waiver of any license or penalty or the penal
provisions applicable to any violation thereof. The provisions of this ordinance, insofar
as they are substantially the same as ordinance provisions previously adopted by the City
relating to the same subject matter, shall be construed as restatements and continuations,
and not as new enactments.
Section 4. Publication. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and
adoption of this ordinance, and shall make a minute of the passage and adoption thereof
in the records of the proceedings of the City Council at which the same is passed and
adopted. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty (30) days after its final
passage and adoption, and within fifteen (15) full days after its final passage, the City
Clerk shall cause it to be published in a newspaper of general circulation and shall post
the same at City Hall, the Police Department and the Community Center.
FIRST READING at a regular meeting of the City Council of said City held on
the 8`h day of May, 2006, and finally adopted and order posted at a regular meeting held
on the 22nd day May, 2006.
ATTEST:
CLERK OF TIC OF CYPRESS
MAYO' OF HE CITY OF CYPRESS
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
I, JILL R. INGRAM, City Clerk of the City of Cypress DO HEREBY CERTIFY
that the foregoing was duly adopted at a regularly scheduled meeting of said City Council
held on the 22nd day of May, 2006, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: 4 COUNCIL MEMBERS: McCoy, Seymore, Luebben and Sondhi
NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: 1 COUNCIL MEMBERS: McGill
Y CLERK OF THE C
OF CYPRESS
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