Section 15183 - Projects Consistent with a Community Plan, General Plan, or Zoning(a) CEQA mandates that projects which are consistent with the development density established by existing zoning, community plan, or general plan policies for which an EIR was certified shall not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site. This streamlines the review of such projects and reduces the need to prepare repetitive environmental studies.(b) In approving a project meeting the requirements of this section, a public agency shall limit its examination of environmental effects to those which the agency determines, in an initial study or other analysis:(1) Are peculiar to the project or the parcel on which the project would be located,(2) Were not analyzed as significant effects in a prior EIR on the zoning action, general plan or community plan with which the project is consistent,(3) Are potentially significant off-site impacts and cumulative impacts which were not discussed in the prior EIR prepared for the general plan, community plan or zoning action, or(4) Are previously identified significant effects which, as a result of substantial new information which was not known at the time the EIR was certified, are determined to have a more severe adverse impact than discussed in the prior EIR.(c) If an impact is not peculiar to the parcel or to the project, has been addressed as a significant effect in the prior EIR, or can be substantially mitigated by the imposition of uniformly applied development policies or standards, as contemplated by subdivision (e) below, then an additional EIR need not be prepared for the project solely on the basis of that impact.(d) This section shall apply only to projects which meet the following conditions: (1) The project is consistent with: (A) A community plan adopted as part of a general plan,(B) A zoning action which zoned or designated the parcel on which the project would be located to accommodate a particular density of development, or(C) A general plan of a local agency, and(2) An EIR was certified by the lead agency for the zoning action, the community plan, or the general plan.(e) This section shall limit the analysis of only those significant environmental effects for which: (1) Each public agency with authority to mitigate any of the significant effects on the environment identified in the EIR on the planning or zoning action undertakes or requires others to undertake mitigation measures specified in the EIR which the lead agency found to be feasible, and(2) The lead agency makes a finding at a public hearing as to whether the feasible mitigation measures will be undertaken.(f) An effect of a project on the environment shall not be considered peculiar to the project or the parcel for the purposes of this section if uniformly applied development policies or standards have been previously adopted by the city or county with a finding that the development policies or standards will substantially mitigate that environmental effect when applied to future projects, unless substantial new information shows that the policies or standards will not substantially mitigate the environmental effect. The finding shall be based on substantial evidence which need not include an EIR. Such development policies or standards need not apply throughout the entire city or county, but can apply only within the zoning district in which the project is located, or within the area subject to the community plan on which the lead agency is relying. Moreover, such policies or standards need not be part of the general plan or any community plan, but can be found within another pertinent planning document such as a zoning ordinance. Where a city or county, in previously adopting uniformly applied development policies or standards for imposition on future projects, failed to make a finding as to whether such policies or standards would substantially mitigate the effects of future projects, the decisionmaking body of the city or county, prior to approving such a future project pursuant to this section, may hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering whether, as applied to the project, such standards or policies would substantially mitigate the effects of the project. Such a public hearing need only be held if the city or county decides to apply the standards or policies as permitted in this section.(g) Examples of uniformly applied development policies or standards include, but are not limited to: (2) Public access requirements,(4) Hillside development ordinances.(5) Flood plain ordinances.(6) Habitat protection or conservation ordinances.(7) View protection ordinances.(8) Requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as set forth in adopted land use plans, policies, or regulations.(h) An environmental effect shall not be considered peculiar to the project or parcel solely because no uniformly applied development policy or standard is applicable to it.(i) Where the prior EIR relied upon by the lead agency was prepared for a general plan or community plan that meets the requirements of this section, any rezoning action consistent with the general plan or community plan shall be treated as a project subject to this section. (1) "Community plan" is defined as a part of the general plan of a city or county which applies to a defined geographic portion of the total area included in the general plan, includes or references each of the mandatory elements specified in Section 65302 of the Government Code, and contains specific development policies and implementation measures which will apply those policies to each involved parcel.(2) For purposes of this section, "consistent" means that the density of the proposed project is the same or less than the standard expressed for the involved parcel in the general plan, community plan or zoning action for which an EIR has been certified, and that the project complies with the density-related standards contained in that plan or zoning. Where the zoning ordinance refers to the general plan or community plan for its density standard, the project shall be consistent with the applicable plan.(j) This section does not affect any requirement to analyze potentially significant offsite or cumulative impacts if those impacts were not adequately discussed in the prior EIR. If a significant offsite or cumulative impact was adequately discussed in the prior EIR, then this section may be used as a basis for excluding further analysis of that offsite or cumulative impact.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14, § 15183
1. Amendment of section heading and subsections (a)(2) and (b) filed 1-30-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 5).
2. Amendment of section heading and section filed 10-26-98; operative 10-26-98 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21087 (Register 98, No. 44).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending NOTE filed 10-6-2005 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2005, No. 40).
4. New subsection (g)(8) and amendment of NOTE filed 2-16-2010; operative 3-18-2010 (Register 2010, No. 8). Note: Authority cited: Sections 21083 and 21083.05, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 21083.05 and 21083.3, Public Resources Code.
1. Amendment of section heading and subsections (a)(2) and (b) filed 1-30-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 5).
2. Amendment of section heading and section filed 10-26-98; operative 10-26-98 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21087 (Register 98, No. 44).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending Note filed 10-6-2005 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2005, No. 40).
4. New subsection (g)(8) and amendment of Note filed 2-16-2010; operative 3-18-2010 (Register 2010, No. 8).