Opinion ID: 3038212
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Local Land Use Law

Text: The Sutter County General Plan is a long-term guide for physical development of land within the County. The Plan empowers the County’s Community Services Department to ensure that “new development adjacent to agricultural areas be designed to minimize conflicts with adjacent agricultural uses.” Policy Document, at 16. The Plan disfavors development not contiguous to areas currently designated for urban or suburban uses—leapfrog development—because it “has the potential to create land use conflicts and, in most instances, make[s] the provision of services more difficult.” Id. at 13. The Sutter County Zoning Code designates twenty-two types of districts. Within each of these districts, the Code categorizes uses as “permitted” as a matter of right, uses that require a “zoning clearance,” or uses that require a use permit. Zoning clearance uses need only the review and approval of the Community Services Director. Conditional use permit uses require a more comprehensive review through the Sutter County Planning Commission, and require a public hearing. A church must apply for a CUP to locate within any district available to it. Six of the twenty-two types of districts are made available to churches through the Zoning Code: general agricultural (AG); food processing, agricultural and recreation combining (FPARC); one-family residence (R-1), two-family residence (R-2), neighborhood apartment (R-3), and general apartment (R-4). 8598 GURU NANAK SIKH v. COUNTY OF SUTTER