Ordinance No. 988467
ORDINANCE NO. 988
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA,
AMENDING SECTION 35.95 OF THE CYPRESS ZONING ORDINANCE RELATING TO
MODIFICATION, SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF CONDITIONAL USE
PERMITS
WHEREAS, the California Court of Appeal recently issued an opinion in the case of
Haas v. County of San Bernardino regarding the procedures applicable to the revocation of a
permit; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is amending Section 35.95 of the City of Cypress Zoning
Ordinance in order to provide procedures consistent with the Court's recent decision in the Haas
case.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Cypress hereby ordains as follows:
Section 1: Section 35.95 of the Cypress Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended to read in
its entirety as follows:
Sec. 35.95. Modifications, Suspensions and /or Revocations.
A. Initiation of Review.
The Director of Community Development may initiate review of any conditional use
permit for the purposes of modifying, suspending or revoking the conditional use permit at any
time he or she has determined that the use for which the permit was issued is not being operated
consistent with the conditions of approval of the conditional use permit; the use is being
conducted and /or operated in a manner that constitutes a public nuisance as defined by California
Civil Code § 3480; the use for which the permit was originally issued has materially changed
such that it has become a different use than for which the permit was originally issued; or it is
discovered that the application contained incorrect, false or misleading information.
B. Required Findings.
Upon the recommendation of the Director of Community Development, the Planning
Agency may unilaterally modify, suspend or revoke a conditional use permit upon making any
one of the following findings:
1. the use for which the permit was issued is not being operated consistent
with the conditions of approval of the conditional use permit
2. the use is being conducted and /or operated in a manner that constitutes a
public nuisance as defined by California Civil Code Section 3480; or
3. the application contained incorrect, false or misleading information.
4. the use for which the permit was originally issued has materially changed such
that it has become a different use that for which the permit was originally issued
C. Hearing on Modification, Suspension or Revocation.
Upon determining that the grounds for modification, revocation or suspension exists as
set forth in this section, the Director of Community Development shall furnish written notice of
the proposed modification, suspension or revocation to the permittee. Such notice shall
summarize the principal reasons for the proposed modification, suspension or revocation; and
shall be delivered both by posting the notice at the location of the use for which the conditional
use permit has been issued, and by sending the notice certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed
to the permittee as that name appears on the conditional use permit application.
Within ten (10) calendar days after receipt of the Notice of Proposed Action, the
permittee may request a hearing by providing written notice of such a request to the City Clerk.
The notice shall specify the grounds upon which the permittee contests the proposed action. In
the absence of a timely hearing request, the proposed decision of the Director of Community
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Development shall be forwarded on to the Planning Agency along with the record upon which the
Director of Community Development based his or her decision. Based on this record, the
Planning Agency shall either adopt the Director's recommendation in its entirety, adopt the
recommendation as modified, or reject the recommendation.
Within ten (10) calendar days of receiving a request for a hearing, the City Clerk shall
transmit to the permittee a list of five proposed qualified hearing officers as jointly recommended
by the City Attorney and Community Development Director. Within ten (10) calendar days of
the date the list of potential hearing officers has been mailed, the permittee shall return to the city
the notice indicating that the permittee has either selected one of the proposed hearing officers or
rejected all hearing officers. If the permittee rejects all the hearing officers, the permittee and the
Director of Community Development shall, mutually select a hearing officer through Judicial
Arbitration and Mediation Services, Orange County Office ( "JAMS "). If such a mutual selection
cannot be made within five (5) working days of the City's receipt of the permittee's notice that it
has rejected all proposed hearing officers, the permittee and City Clerk shall meet in person and
each submit the names of three (3) JAMS hearing officers, which names shall be placed in an
opaque receptacle. The City Clerk shall draw one name out of the receptacle which shall be the
hearing officer for the appeal hearing. In either event, both parties shall equally split the cost for
the hearing officer.
Once the hearing officer has been selected, the permittee shall be notified of the time and
place of the hearing by personal service or via US mail, postage prepaid, at least fifteen (15)
calendar days in advance of the date set for the hearing. At the hearing, the permittee and the
City shall be entitled to present relevant evidence, testify under oath, and call witnesses who shall
testify under oath. The hearing officer shall not be bound by the statutory rules of evidence in
the hearing, except that hearsay evidence may not be the sole basis for the determination of the
hearing officer.
Within fifteen (15) days of the termination of the hearing, the hearing officer shall
recommend that the Planning Agency either adopt the Director's recommendation in its entirety,
adopt the recommendation as modified, or reject the recommendation. The recommendation of
the hearing officer shall be forwarded by certified mail, postage prepaid to the permittee within
three (3) days of the hearing decision. The decision and the record of procedures shall also be
forwarded on to the Planning Agency. The Planning Agency shall meet within thirty (30) days
of the issuance of the hearing officer's recommendation and either adopt the proposed decision in
its entirety, amend the decision, or reject the decision. The Planning Agency's decision shall be
based on the record of the hearing and shall be final. In the event that a judicial action is filed
challenging the Planning Agency's decision on a conditional use permit involving expression
protected by the First Amendment, the status quo shall be maintained pending the Superior
Court's decision on the challenge.
Section 2: The City Clerk of the City of Cypress shall certify to the passage and adoption
of this ordinance and the same shall be posted as required by law and shall take effect as provided
by law.
FIRST READING at a regular meeting of the City Council of said City held on the 22nd
day of March , 1999 and finally adopted and order posted at a regular meeting held on the
12th day of April , 1999.
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF ORANGE
) SS
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
I, LILLIAN M.HAINA, City Clerk of the City of Cypress, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that
the foregoing Ordinance was duly adopted at a regularly meeting of said City Council held on the
12th day of April 1999; by the following roll call vote:
AYES: 5 COUNCIL MEMBERS: McCoy, McGill, Piercy, Sondhi
NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS None and Keenan
ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS None
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CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
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