his page contains procedures and guidelines
for the bulleted actions below. Please click the above button labeled
"Forms & Links" to download the forms discussed herein.
For additional information, please contact the Planning Department
at (775) 423-7627 or by e-mail at planning@churchillcounty.org
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Click Forms & Links for application forms.
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PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS
The applicant or a protestant may appeal
any decision of the planning commission if they feel the planning commission
decision was improperly granted or denied. There are different procedures
for handling various land use applications. Some decisions made by the
Planning Commission are final decisions, and some are recommendations
to the Board of County Commissioners whereby the Board of County Commissioners
make the final decision.
Churchill County Code allows for a ten-day
appeal period whereby an appeal may be filed in writing to the Board
of County Commissioners within ten days of the Planning Commission rendering
its decision. If no appeal is taken to the Board of County Commissioners
within the time allowed, such decision is final. The Clerk of the Board
shall set the appeal for hearing before the Board of County Commissioners
within sixty (60) days of said appeal being received.
All appeals shall be filed in writing accompanied
with a filing fee, see Current Price Guide
page, by filing a signed written notice of appeal and application stating
therein the reasons why the decision of staff or the Planning Commission
should be amended, modified or reversed.
The appeal application shall specify the
project or decision for which the appeal is being requested, indicate
which aspects of the decision are being appealed, and provide the necessary
facts or other information that support the appellant’s contention
that the staff or Planning Commission erred in its consideration or
findings supporting its decision.
Once an appeal is filed with the Clerk of
the Board of County Commissioners, a notice of the hearing will be mailed
to the petitioner and to all parties involved, as shown by the record
of findings and decisions furnished by the Planning Commission to the
County Commissioners. For further information, please view Chapter I
of the Consolidated Development Code.
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ABANDONMENT
OF STREET, RIGHT-OF-WAY OR EASEMENT
Administrative Abandonment of Public Utility Easements
A "public utility easement" is an easement obtained by Churchill
County or a public utility which is owned or controlled by Churchill County
and which runs in favor of the county. Pursuant to NRS 278.480(10) and
through the use of the procedure contained in this section, a public utility
easement may be abandoned without a hearing of the Board or the Commission.
The owner of property who seeks abandonment of a public utility easement
involving his or her property shall file an application in writing with
the Planning Department on the forms required by that department. The
application shall also include a legal description and exhibit prepared
and signed by a surveyor licensed in the State of Nevada. The Director
of the Planning Department, or his or her designee, may issue a written
order abandoning a public utility easement after:
- Receiving a complete application;
- Obtaining the written approval of the County Engineer or Surveyor,
his or her designee, and
- Determining the subject public utility easement is no longer necessary
or useful to Churchill County. The abandonment of a public utility easement
pursuant to this section does not affect an easement held by a private
utility company even if such private utility easement was created by
the same instrument or it has the same legal description, and also does
not affect an easement held by the public as distinguished from an easement
held by Churchill County or a public utility owned or controlled by Churchill
County. A decision of the Director made under this section may be appealed
to the Board of County Commissioners.
Abandonment of Streets or Easements
Any abutting property owner, or Churchill County, desiring the vacation
or abandonment of any street or easement owned by Churchill County, shall
file a petition, in writing, with the Planning Commission. Said petition
shall be filed no less than forty-five (45) days prior to the day of the
Planning Commission meeting and shall be accompanied by a legal description
of the easement, a reason(s) why the easement is no longer required and
a filing fee, the amount to be set by the Board of County Commissioners
and amended from time to time.
- Applicant must submit a written petition for the abandonment,
signed by the property owner. You can view and download a copy of a petition
from our Forms & Links page.
- Applicant must also submit a legal description of the subject easement
and a map depicting the easement. Application should include a letter
explaining why the easement should be abandoned.
- The petition is reviewed at public hearings by both the Planning Commission
and the County Commission; final decision made by the County Commission.
- Applicant must also provide justification for abandonment.
- Fee submittal; please see Current Price
Guide page for fee.
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REZONING PROCEDURES
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Meet with a planner and complete
the application in its entirety; the application should show some justification
for rezoning.
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Required attachments to submit
with application: copy of Grant, Bargain & Sale Deed or Quitclaim
Deed, plot plan drawn to scale showing all existing buildings, roads
and easements of record, as well as any buildings, roads or easements
proposed in conjunction with this application; verification of water
rights, if the property is water-righted (call TCID at 423-2141); a
copy of the CC&Rs (if there are any); and signed "Conversion
to a Higher Use Form".
Property owner must sign the application and have it notarized.
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We need the original application
with copies of the attachments, and twenty (20) copies of the entire
application packet.
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Fee submittal; please see Current
Price Guide page for fee.
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Applications are due forty-five
(45) days prior to the Planning Commission Meeting.
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Reviewed at public hearings
by both the Planning Commission and the County Commission; final decision
made by the County Commission.
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VARIANCE PROCEDURES
Churchill County Code has provisions
for variances and administrative variances under Chapter II, 1 (IX) of
the Consolidated Development Code.
The Planning Commission reviews
variances from the literal requirements of the code at a public hearing.
Meet with a Planner and complete
the application in its entirety; the application should show some justification
for the variance.
- Required attachments to submit with application: copy of Grant,
Bargain & Sale Deed or Quitclaim Deed, plot plan drawn to scale showing
all existing buildings, roads and easements of record, as well as any
buildings, roads or easements proposed in conjunction with this application;
verification of water rights, if the property is water-righted (call TCID
at 423-2141); and a copy of the CC&Rs (if there are any).
- Property owner must sign the application and have it notarized.
- We need the original application with copies of the attachments,
and ten (10) copies of the entire application packet.
- Fee submittal; please see Current Price
Guide page for fee.
- Applications are due forty-five (45) days prior to the Planning
Commission Meeting.
- Reviewed at a public hearing by the Planning Commission.
- There is a ten-day appeal period for all Planning Commission Public
Hearing items.
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ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE PROCEDURES
Variances of less than 10% in deviation from the area, size, required
setbacks, building height and other similar development standards and
requirements of the land use districts may be reviewed administratively
by the Planning Director pursuant to Chapter II (IX) of the Consolidated
Development Code.
An administrative variance is not applicable to the age or size requirements
of a manufactured home or the paving or bridge requirements of any land
division.
Prior to consideration of an administrative variance the Planning Director
shall provide written notice of the requested variance to each owner,
as listed on the County Assessor's records of real property, located within
one hundred feet (100') of the exterior limits of the property in question
as shown by the latest assessment rolls of the county. Notice by mail
to the last known address of real property owners as shown by the Assessor's
records shall be sufficient.
The applicant shall provide:
- A drawing to scale of the property indicating locations of existing
houses, wells and septic tanks, improvements, setbacks, access and depiction
of subject variance.
- Adequate information must be provided explaining what the variance
is for and adequate justification for the variance.
- Fee submittal; please see Current Price Guide
page for fee.
The Planning Director shall consider the effect of any requested variance.
Provided that the deviation will not impair the purpose of the zoning district
or any other provisions of the Churchill County Code the Planning Director
may grant the administrative variance.
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ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCEDURES
The Planning Director has the authority to grant an Administrative Special
Use Permit for a second permanent dwelling, pursuant to Chapter II (VIII)
of the Consolidated Development Code. There may be one or more permanent
single-family dwellings on any lot or parcel; provided there is not less
than the required minimum acreage for each dwelling and that such dwellings
are not less than forty feet (40') apart.
The applicant shall provide:
- A plot plan drawn to scale of the property indicating locations
of existing houses, wells and septic tanks, improvements, setbacks, access
and location of the proposed dwelling.
- Adequate information must be provided to indicate how the parcel
could be divided in the future.
- Fee submittal; please see Current Price
Guide page for fee.
Prior to consideration of an Administrative Special Use Permit the Planning
Director shall provide written notice of the requested Special Use Permit
to each owner, as listed on the County Assessor's records of real property;
located within one hundred feet (100') of the exterior limits of the property
in question as shown by the latest assessment rolls of the county. Notice
by mail to the last known address of real property owners as shown by
the Assessor's records shall be sufficient.
The Planning Director may grant the Special Use Permit if the proposed
second dwelling will not impair the purpose of the zoning district or
any other provisions of the Churchill County Code.
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