What is the process for a zone variance or modification?

Completed applications are set for a Director’s hearing. Property owners within 500 feet of the site of the requested variance are notified of the hearing by mail. In instances where a majority of parcels abutting the project site are one acre or larger in size, the notification radius is expanded to 1,000 feet. Property owners abutting the site of a modification request are notified by mail. Each case is advertised in a locally circulated newspaper. Director’s hearings are conducted by the Hearing Officer and are held every first and third Thursday (excluding holidays) at 10:00 a.m. in the first floor conference room of the Public Services Building, 2700 “M” Street, Bakersfield.

A staff report is then prepared that contains information regarding the request, the applicant’s justification, a recommendation, and usually, conditions of approval. The staff planner will contact the applicant to discuss the recommendation and conditions. Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the staff report and question anything that is unclear or confusing. Copies of the staff report are normally available one (1) week prior to the scheduled hearing.