(a) If a commission fails to act to approve or disapprove any actions, regulations, or permits within 60 days of receiving the request pursuant to Section 21675.1, the applicant or his or her representative may file an action pursuant to Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure to compel the commission to act, and the court shall give the proceedings preference over all other actions or proceedings, except previously filed pending matters of the same character.
(b) The action, regulation, or permit shall be deemed approved only if the public notice required by this subdivision has occurred. If the applicant has provided seven days advance notice to the commission of the intent to provide public notice pursuant to this subdivision, then, not earlier than the date of the expiration of the time limit established by Section 21675.1, an applicant may provide the required public notice. If the applicant chooses to provide public notice, that notice shall include a description of the proposed action, regulation, or permit substantially similar to the descriptions which are commonly used in public notices by the commission, the location of any proposed development, the application number, the name and address of the commission, and a statement that the action, regulation, or permit shall be deemed approved if the commission has not acted within 60 days. If the applicant has provided the public notice specified in this subdivision, the time limit for action by the commission shall be extended to 60 days after the public notice is provided. If the applicant provides notice pursuant to this section, the commission shall refund to the applicant any fees which were collected for providing notice and which were not used for that purpose.
(c) Failure of an applicant to submit complete or adequate information pursuant to Sections 65943 to 65946, inclusive, of the Government Code, may constitute grounds for disapproval of actions, regulations, or permits.
(d) Nothing in this section diminishes the commission’s legal responsibility to provide, where applicable, public notice and hearing before acting on an action, regulation, or permit.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 306, Sec. 5.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018