Pre-Submittal
Contact City Staff to discuss your proposed project and ask questions about the process, forms, fees, and information that you will be required to submit. City staff will provide you with information to help you through the process. The Planning Division can be contacted by phone at (714) 548-3247 or by email at planning@westminster-ca.gov.
Complete all required forms, prepare plans, studies and technical information necessary to file an application. If you have questions about required information, contact Planning Division Staff for assistance. Before you submit an application, check to make sure you have all of the required documents and information.
Entitlement Process
Submit your application and all specified materials to the Planning Division. All applicable filing fees must be paid at the time of submittal.
Completeness Review - City staff will review your application to determine if it is complete. An application may not proceed to the next step until it is complete. Submitting a complete application will reduce the overall entitleemtn process time.
Application Review - Once an application is determined to be complete, it will be reviewed and assessed for potential impacts and compliance with the applicable requirements.
The review period and complexity of the process is based upon a number of factors, which may include a combination of any of the following:
The type of entitlement(s) requested,
- Applicable Federal and/or State Laws,
- Requirements of the Westminster Municipal Code (WMC),
- Requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),
- Review by outside agencies (i.e. Orange County Fire Authority, California Department of Transportation, County of Orange, etc.), and
- Public comments, Outreach
It is strongly recommended to discuss your project with city staff before submitting an application in order to determine the review process for your proposed project.
Decision - Following the review period, a decision will be made by the appropriate review authority. Depending upon the type of entitlement(s), the review authority may be designated as the Community Development Director (staff), Planning Commission or City Council. If your project is approved, you may proceed to the next step. Decisions made by the Community Development Director and Planning Commission may be appealed.
Plan Check/Construction/Inspection Process
Prepare for plan check - Following approval of the requested entitlement(s), detailed plans, drawings, technical studies and other required documents must be prepared for the plan check process. Before submitting for plan check, discuss with city staff the requirements that apply to your project.
Submit for plan check - Plan check is the technical review of documents and drawings to ensure that structures and other improvements are built in accordance with the applicable codes. Depending upon the scope of the project and the conditions of approval, plan check may include construction plans, grading plans, landscape plans, etc. Construction and onsite improvements cannot be made until the plan check process is complete and plans have been approved.
Construction/Inspection - Following the approval of plans and documents, an applicant must obtain the appropriate permits to begin construction. During construction, inspections will be made at various stages. Final inspections are made when a project is completed in accordance with the approved plans.
Completion/Occupancy - Following the inspection process, a Certificate of Occupancy can be issued to allow use of the approved structures.
