Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Regulation Reform Program

On November 18, 2025, the County Board of Supervisors directed County Planning staff to develop and implement a comprehensive County Planning and Zoning Regulation Reform Program that modernizes and streamlines County permitting and land-use processes to improve efficiency, transparency and responsiveness.

Project Scope

Key improvement areas include streamlining entitlements by converting select discretionary permits, such as Conditional Use Permits and Planned Development Permits, to lower-level discretionary permits or ministerial permits under objective standards; eliminating expiration dates for select Conditional Use Permits; rezoning Commercial Office (CO) and Neighborhood Office (C1) Zones to Commercial Planned Development (CPD) Zone to expand business opportunities in existing commercially zoned properties; updating solid waste regulations consistent with state law; combining zoning clearances and permits issued by other County agencies into the building permit process for greater efficiency; updating industrial, commercial, and residential zones to expand allowable uses and support innovation, housing, and job creation; refining permit processing procedures; amending the filming ordinance to allow more flexibility related to duration of filming and type of permits required; and enhancing administrative processes for ministerial modifications, time extensions, and minor development adjustments.

Upcoming

NCZO Comprehensive Update		NCZO Reform Program
Phase I Completed Dec. 17, 2024	Phase II Completed Sept. 16, 2025	Year 1 Currently in Process (Fiscal Year 2026-2027)	Year 2 (Fiscal Year 2027-2028)	Year 3 (Fiscal Year 2028-2029)
Key Changes Approved: Accessory Bathrooms Landscape Screening for Parking Areas Setbacks for Cargo Containers Wholesale Nurseries for Propagation Public Noticing Requirements for Ordinance Amendments	Key Changes Approved: Exempt County Projects and Projects on County-owned or leased land from the regulations of the NCZO Convert permit types from CUP to PD and ZC to permit-exempt for certain land uses Add, revise, and delete land use categories in the Use Matrix of Article 5 and the Old Town Saticoy Development Code	Key Proposed Changes: Convert permit types from CUP to PD for certain land uses Rezone 30 parcels from C1 and CO Zones to CPD Zone Update and Modernize Film Ordinance Enhance flexibility in development Adding allowable land uses in the commercial and industrial zones Removing public hearing requirement for administrative variances	Key Proposed Changes: Reduce unnecessary land use processing procedures Provide clear and predictable paths to approval of development Expand permitted land uses in the industrial zones and create objective standards Convert discretionary permits to ZCs and ZCs to permit-exempt for certain land uses Create ministerial permit process with objective standards for certain temporary uses	Key Proposed Changes: Expand housing by rezoning certain urban residential lots to Residential Planned Development (RPD) Zone Streamline the Discretionary Tree Permit Processes to allow for more administrative actions and to amend the in-lieu fee for protected tree off-sets Create “flex uses” for industrial, agricultural, and open space zones

The Year 1 scope of work for the NCZO Reform Program is tentatively scheduled to be presented at the Planning Commission on September 17, 2026. The Board of Supervisors hearing is tentatively scheduled for December 15, 2026. If you would like to be notified of this public hearing, please provide your contact information in the Get Notified section below.

The opportunities to submit public comments are during the following phases of the amendment process:

The release of the Planning Commission staff report and exhibits; and,
The release of the Board of Supervisors letter and exhibits.

If you wish to provide public comments during any of these phases, please provide your written comments to the case planner, Ms. Franca A. Rosengren, by email at: Franca.Rosengren@venturacounty.gov or by mail at: County of Ventura, RMA Planning Division, Attn: Franca A. Rosengren, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, L#1740, Ventura, CA 93009.

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