Ordinance No. 857005
ORDINANCE NO. 857
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF CYPRESS AMENDING CHAPTER 25
"SUBDIVISIONS" OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF
CYPRESS BY THE ADDITION OF ARTICLE IV -A
"MERGER OF PARCELS"
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS DOES ORDAIN
AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I. Chapter 25, "Subdivisions," of the
Code of the City of Cypress is hereby amended by the
addition of Article IV -A, "Merger of Parcels," commencing
with Section 25 -25.1 as follows:
"ARTICLE IV -A MERGER OF PARCELS
Section 25 -25.1. Authority to Merge Parcels.
(A) The Planning Director is authorized to accept
applications for the merger of two contiguous
parcels or units of land with a continguous parcel,
or units of land held by the same owner if any one
of the contiguous parcels or units of land held by
the same owner does not conform to the standards
for minimum parcel size, under the zoning ordinance
of the City applicable to the parcels or units of
land if all of the following requirements are
satisfied:
1. At least one of the affected parcels is
undeveloped by any structure for which a
building permit was issued or for which a
building permit was not required at the
time of construction, or is developed
only with an accessory structure or
accessory structures, or is developed
with a single structure, other than an
accessory structure, that is also
partially sited on a contiguous parcel or
unit.
2. With respect to any affected parcel, one
or more of the following conditions
exists:
(a) The parcel comprises less than 5,000
square feet in area at the time of
the determination of merger.
(b) The parcel was not created in
compliance with applicable laws and
ordinances in effect at the time of
its creation.
(c) The parcel does not meet current
standards for sewage disposal and
domestic water supply.
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(d) The parcel does not meet slope
stability standards.
(e) The parcel has no legal access which
is adequate for vehicular and safety
equipment access and
maneuverability.
(f) The parcel development would create
health or safety hazards.
(g) The parcel is inconsistent with the
applicable general plan and any
applicable specific plan, other than
minimum lot size or density
standards.
(B) For purposes of determining whether contiguous
parcels are held by the same owner, ownership shall
be determined as of the date that notice of
intention to determine status is recorded as
provided by Section 25 -25.3 of this Code.
(C) Article IV -A shall not apply if any one of the
following conditions exist:
1. On or before July 1, 1981, one or more of
the contiguous parcels or units of land
is enforceably restricted open -space land
pursuant to a contract, agreement, scenic
restriction, or open -space easement, as
defined and set forth in Section 421 of
the Revenue and Taxation Code.
2. On July 1, 1981, one or more of the
contiguous parcels or units of land is
timberland as defined in subdivision (f)
of Section 51104 of the Government code
of the State of California or is land
devoted to an agricultural use as defined
in subdivision (b) of Section 51201 of
the Government Code.
3. On July 1, 1981, one or more of the
contiguous parcels or units of land is
located within 2,000 feet of the site on
which an existing commercial mineral
resource extraction use is being made,
whether or not the extraction is being
made pursuant to a use permit issued by
the City.
4. On July 1, 1981, one or more of the
contiguous parcels or units of land is
located within 2,000 feet of a future
commercial mineral extraction site as
shown on a plan for which a use permit or
other permit authorizing commercial
mineral resource extraction has been
issued by the City.
(D) For purposes of paragraphs (C) 3 and (C) 4 of
this subdivision, 'mineral resource extraction'
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means gas, oil, hydrocarbon, gravel, or sand
extraction, geothermal wells, or other similar
commercial mining activity.
Section 25 -25.2. Recordation of Notice.
A merger of parcels becomes effective when the
City causes to be filed for record with the County
Recorder of the County of Orange, a notice of
merger specifying the names of the record owners
and particularly describing the real property.
Section 25 -25.3. Notice of Intent to Determine
Status.
Prior to recording a notice of merger, the
City shall cause to be mailed by certified mail to
the then current record owner of the property a
notice of intention to determine status, notifying
the owner that the affected parcels may be merged
pursuant to the standards specified on the merger
ordinance, and advising the owner of the
opportunity to request a hearing on determination
of status and to present evidence at the hearing
that the property does not meet the criteria for
merger. The notice of intention to determine
status shall be filed for record with the County
Recorder of the County of Orange on the date that
notice is mailed to the property owner.
Section 25 -25.4. Request for Hearing on
Determination of Status.
At any time within thirty (30) days after
recording of the notice of intention to determine
status, the owner of the affected property may file
with the City a request for a hearing on
determination of status.
Section 25 -25.5 Hearing; Time, Date and Place.
Upon receiving a request for a hearing on
determination of status from the owner of the
affected property pursuant to Section 25 -25.4, the
City shall fix a time, date, and place for a
hearing to be conducted by the City Council or an
advisory agency, and shall notify the property
owner of that time, date, and place for the hearing
by certified mail. The hearing shall be conducted
not more than sixty (60) days following the City's
receipt of the property owner's request for the
hearing, but may be postponed or continued with the
mutual consent of the City and the property owner.
Section 25 -25.6 Hearing; Evidence; Determination
of Status.
At the hearing, the property owner shall be
given the opportunity to present any evidence that
the affected property does not meet the standards
for merger specified in this merger ordinance.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the City
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Council or an advisory agency shall make a
determination that the affected parcels are to be
merged or are not to be merged and shall so notify
the owner of its determination. A determination of
nonmerger may be made whether or not the affected
property meets the standards for merger specified
in Section 25 -25.1 of the Code. A determination of
merger shall be recorded within thirty (30) days
after conclusion of the hearing, as provided for in
Section 25 -25.2.
Section 25 -25.7. Failure to Request Hearing;
Determination of Merger.
If, within the thirty (30) day period
specified in Section 25 -25.4 the owner does not
file a request for a hearing in accordance with
Section 25 -25.6 the City may, at any time
thereafter, make a determination that the affected
parcels are to be merged or are not to be merged.
A determination of merger shall be recorded as
provided for in Section 25 -25.2 no later than
ninety (90) days following the mailing of notice
required by Section 25 -25.5.
Section 25 -25.8. Determination not to Merge;
Release of Notice of Intent to Determine Status;
Recordation, Clearance Letter.
If, in accordance with Section 25 -25.6 or 25-
25.7, the City determines that the subject propety
shall not be merged, the City shall cause to be
recorded in the manner specified in Section 25 -25.2
a release of the notice of intention to determine
status, recorded pursuant to Section 25 -25.3 and
shall mail a clearance letter to the then current
owner of record.
Section 25 -25.9 Failure to Comply With This
Article.
(A) The failure of the City to comply with
the requirements of this article for the merger of
contiguous parcels or units of land held in common
ownership shall render void and ineffective any
resulting merger or recorded notice of merger and
no further proceedings under the provisions of this
article shall be required for the purpose of sale,
lease, or financing of those contiguous parcels or
units, or any of them, until such time as the
parcels or units of land have been lawfully merged
by subsequent proceedings initiated by the City
which meet the requirements of this article.
(B) The failure of the City to comply with
the requirements of any prior law establishing
requirements for the merger of contiguous parcels
or units of land held in common ownership, shall
render voidable any resulting merger or recorded
notice of merger. From and after the date the City
determines that its actions did not comply with the
prior law, or a court enters a judgment declaring
that the actions of the City did not comply with
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the prior law, no further proceedings under the
provisions of this article shall be required for
the purpose of sale, lease, or financing of such
contiguous parcels or units, or any of them, until
such time as the parcels or units of land have been
lawfully merged by subsequent proceedings initiated
by the City which meet the requirements of this
article."
SECTION II. If any section, subsection,
subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this
Ordinance, or the application thereof is for any reason held
to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any
court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not
affect the validity of the remaining portions of this
Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would
have adopted this Ordinance, and each section, subsection,
subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof,
irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections,
subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases or
portions or the application thereof be declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
SECTION III. The City Clerk is hereby authorized
and directed to certify as to the passage of this Ordinance
and to give notice thereof by causing copies of this
Ordinance to be posted in three public places throughout the
City.
FIRST READ at a regular meeting of the City Council
of said City held on the 13th day of November
1990, and finally adopted and order posted at a regular
meeting held on the IO da y of December , 1990.
ATTEST:
CLERK O
&Iv(
Y OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
(4J
E C TY OF CYPRESS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
I, DARRELL ESSEX, City Clerk of the City of
Cypress, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing
Ordinance was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Cypress, held on the 10th day
of December , 1990; by the following roll call
vote:
AYES: 5 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Arnold, Bowman, Kanel, Kerry
and Age
NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS:
None
CITY C RK OF E CI OF CYPRESS