BRADY FLANIGANStaff Writer

At the latest Planning Commission meeting, Interim Planning and Development Director Samuel Luthi introduced a new submittal calendar aimed at taking the guesswork out of the development review process.

It’s more than just a deadline chart—it sets a full timeline for how projects move through staff and the Development Advisory Committee (DAC). The new calendar, which takes effect with the April 21, 2025 meeting, builds in checkpoints for when comments are due, when applicants must respond, and when projects are either agendized or pushed back.

“Before, we just had a submittal deadline and then the Planning Commission meeting,” Luthi said. “This one adds as a DAC comments deadline, a response deadline, and review periods on both sides. It sets the stage for what we expect from applicants and what applicants can expect from us.”

Each project will now follow a fixed track: it starts with the submission deadline, then a two-week DAC review period. After that, comments are issued to the applicant, who then has ten days to respond. DAC gets eight more days to review the response and determine whether the project’s ready to be placed on the agenda. If the response is solid, it moves forward. If not, the item is deferred—either at the applicant’s request or by vote of the Commission.

Mayor Lynn Sebourn backed the change, saying he and Luthi had met earlier in the day to go over it. “I was really impressed,” he said. “We’ve had lots of feedback from developers complaining about timelines, and I think this just lays out a really clear process.”

Commissioners approved the calendar unanimously. From here on out, it overrides any existing timelines in the zoning ordinance or subdivision regulations. As Luthi put it: “This gives staff the ability to set a timeline in advance, and it gives applicants confidence.”