Planning The Planning Department is responsible for enforcing the City’s General Plan and administering the La Habra Heights Municipal Code pertaining to Zoning, including the map. The General Plan functions as the City’s blueprint for development, and is an expression of the community goals, objectives and desires. Zoning functions as an implementation tool of the General Plan, which is comprised of ordinances and the zoning map. The Zoning section (Article 7 - Development Code & Zoning Ordinance) of the La Habra Heights Municipal Code is the development standard for the City’s Zoning Districts: the R-A (Residential Agriculture) 1-acre, and C-H (Commercial Highway). The Planning Staff provides support to the City Council and Planning Commission. It reviews projects to assure consistency with the General Plan; enforces the zoning codes to ensure that activity is not in conflict with the City’s zoning standards; and performs project reviews for the City Council and Planning Commission with accurate and complete information on which to base their decisions. The Building process begins in the Planning Department. A new structure, or even an addition to an existing structure, requires Planning Department approval. Depending on the type of project being proposed an “Application for Planning Approval” may be required. Some minor projects may be approved over the counter, when an “Application for Planning Approval” is submitted, the process includes:

Staff reviews the submitted application for completeness.
Determination that an application is complete; a hearing date before the Planning Commission is set, or that an administrative review process can begin.
When an application is deemed complete, the process includes notifying property owners within 500 feet of the exterior boundary of the project.

Code Enforcement

In an effort to maintain a quality City environment, the Code Enforcement Division of the Community Development Department monitors enforcement activities ensuring properties are in compliance with the La Habra Heights Municipal Code. The City's Code Enforcement is complaint driven, and is the process by which the City gains compliance with its laws, regulations and permits. The City's Code Enforcement Process starts after a citizen files a complaint with the Community Development Department. Staff visits the property to determine if a code violation exists. If a violation is discovered, a notice is issued to the property owner or tenant. Since most violations exist through simple, unintentional acts contrary to a regulation, the majority of cases are resolved soon after the initial notification. Compliance is accomplished when the owner or tenant obtains proper permits, makes necessary repairs, or abates the conditions which constitutes the violation. Where the owner fails to comply voluntarily, the City pursues a variety of administrative enforcement actions, which may include going to court, if necessary.

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