Development review is the planning and building process by which approvals are sought for projects on private property, including but not limited to, modifications to existing buildings and sites, new construction, or redevelopment of sites, subdivision of land, and establish new or change of uses, including temporary uses. Development review includes proposals for all land uses, including residential, nonresidential (e.g. office, hotel, research & development, recreational), medical, and retail/services. Most City Departments are involved in the development review process, including the following:

• Community Development (Planning/Building/Fire)
• Housing (Tenant Relocation/Affordable Housing)
• Public Works (Land Development/Traffic/Transportation/Utilities/Solid Waste)
• Police (Live Entertainment)
• Community Services (Trees/Parks)
• Finance (Fees/Business Licenses)
• City Attorney's Office (Legal/Agreements)
• Fire and Environmental Protection (Stormwater, Hazardous Material)

About the Development Review Study

In 2020, Matrix Consulting Group (Matrix) was hired to review the City of Mountain View's development review process and provide recommendations for improvements. The following major activities were undertaken as part of this study:

• An online survey of recent permit applicants (290 responses)
• Interviewing city staff and Council members
• Focus group meetings and individual interviews with prior applicants
• Data collection on permit history
• Process documentation and evaluation of current processes
• Assessment of best practices
• Technology evaluation
• Workload and staffing assessment

Results

Based on the feedback received, Matrix summarized the following strengths of the current development review process:

• City staff provides detailed comment letters to permit applicants,
• Planning staff provides robust staff reports to Environmental Planning Commission and City Council,
• Building inspections are scheduled online and inspectors are equipped with wireless enabled tables,
• Permit applications are reviewed concurrently by all City Departments; and
• Contracted staff is utilized for specialty functions and during peak workload volumes.

In addition to these strengths, the areas for desired improvement in the development review process are summarized as improvements to process, customer service levels, and technology.

Process

• Need clarity and objectivity in planning entitlement process;
• Need to improve coordination between departments/divisions;
• Fees required not fully understood at project inception; and
• Review times, especially resubmittals, are viewed as too long.

Service Levels

• General dissatisfaction with timeliness of process; and
• Perceptions City staff are not focused on customer service or assisting applicants to find resolutions to project issues.

Technology

• Desire for enhanced electronic submittal processes and application tracking abilities;
• Need for enhanced online services and information; and
• Frustration with accessibility of information on City website.

Recommendations

In total, Matrix's study identified 53 recommendations for improvements within the development review process. The recommendations vary in the degree of staff time, complexity, or demand on resources they will require to improve or implement and so are expected to be completed over multiple years.

Implementing Study Recommendations

The following are status updates on the City's progress in implementing the study recommendations:

• May 2023 Update
• July 2024 Update

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