City Planning Department

Scott Wolfe
Planning Director

Rick Casswell
Assistant Planner

The City Planning Department is responsible for carrying out the long range and day to day planning functions of the City, including:

1. Preparing and maintaining the Westlake Village General Plan;
2. Administering, maintaining and enforcing the City Zoning Ordinance;
3. Counseling community residents and project proponents regarding applicable development standards and procedures;
4. Reviewing and presenting major development projects for City Council review and disposition;
5. Coordinating the activities of contract agencies, including Building and Safety, Fire, and Public Works relative to development activities; and
6. Directing the City’s solid waste reduction and recycling programs.

General Plan

Within the State of California, every city is required to adopt a long range General Plan as a blue print for future community growth and development.  The Plan consists of seven mandatory chapters, or “Elements”, addressing Land Use, Traffic & Circulation, Housing, Resource Conservation, Open Space, Noise, and Public Safety.  A comprehensive review of the General Plan is typically conducted every ten years, although the Plan may be reviewed and amended as circumstances dictate.   The Housing Element is more strictly regulated, and pursuant to State law, must be updated every five years. Any development project approved by the City Council must be consistent with the General Plan.

Zoning Ordinance

The Zoning Map and Zoning Ordinance are the chief tools used to implement the General Plan.  For each parcel of land within the City, the Ordinance specifies the permitted use(s) and applicable development standards, including building bulk, height, set backs from abutting properties and streets, parking requirements, signage standards and so on.  The Zoning Ordinance regulates day to day development activity within the City, and is administered and enforced by the Planning Department.  The Ordinance is continuously reviewed and amended to respond to emerging development issues and changing state and federal requirements.

Contact with Planning Department Staff

The first point of contact most residents and land developers have with the Planning Department is at the “public counter” just inside the front doors of City Hall.  Planning Department staff is available at all times to advise residents as to standards and procedures for approval of various home additions or improvements, most of which are approved “over the counter”.  In its daily counter activities, planning staff also reviews and approves typical commercial tenant improvement plans and advises proponents of larger development projects as to the permit application requirements and the anticipated public review process and time frame.

Development Review

Plans for construction of a new residential or commercial building, or a change in use of an existing building, typically require approval by the City Council following a duly noticed public hearing.  To facilitate the public review process, the Planning Department prepares an evaluation of a proposed project, focusing on compliance with applicable General Plan and Zoning Ordinance provisions, potential environmental impacts, and measures necessary to mitigate identified potential impacts.  Depending on the size and complexity of the project, the necessary Planning Department review may require only a few weeks or several months to complete.   Once complete, reports and recommendations are prepared and presented to the City Council for consideration as part of the public hearing process.

Agency Coordination

The City of Westlake Village contracts with a number of public agencies and private companies to assist in overseeing development activity within the City.  These include the Los Angeles County Division of Building and Safety, which reviews building plans, issues building permits and conducts building inspections.  The City’s “Building Officials” work hand in hand with the Los Angeles County Fire Department to assure that fire and safety codes are strictly adhered to.  City engineering and traffic engineering services are provided by Willdan, a private engineering and planning consulting firm.  As the lead agency in most major development projects, the City Planning Department oversees and coordinates the activities of contracted development services providers.

Information on Starting a Business In the City

Westlake Village is known as a very business friendly City, and has been noted as being one of the easier jurisdictions in the area for businesses to work with. As part of its commitment to being a business friendly City, the City of Westlake Village does not require a business license, business registration or business tax to operate. However, there are several steps that a potential business owner must take when deciding to open a business in the City of Westlake Village. If you follow these steps, this should be a relatively simple process.

Step 1: CALL THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT

Contact the Planning Department at (818) 706-1613 to determine whether or not the location you have in mind is zoned for the business you wish to operate. Do this BEFORE signing any lease or purchase agreement.

Step 2: OBTAIN A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (If Needed)

While most businesses will not require this, some businesses in certain locations will require the issuance of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) prior to opening. In Westlake Village, this is typically a two (2) month process, with an application fee of $1081.00. The decision to approve or deny the permit application will be made by the City Council at a noticed public hearing.

Step 3: OBTAIN A COUNTY BUSINESS LICENSE (If Needed)

A small number of business types will require a business license under the County of Los Angeles regulations. The list of activities which require a business license to be issued by the County are listed at http://ttc.lacounty.gov/Proptax/Business_license_list.htm. Any questions regarding this list, or the Business Licensing process, can be directed to the Los Angeles County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office at (213) 974 - 2011.

Step 4: COMPLY WITH COUNTY, STATE, & FEDERAL REGULATIONS

A federal Tax ID number, State resellers permit, a Fictitious Business Name (DBA) registration with the County may be required. Additionally various other permits and licenses issued by the State and County may be required for businesses to open in Westlake Village. It is the business owner’s responsibility to ensure that all necessary permits and other requirements are met.

For additional information, please contact the City of Westlake Village Planning Department at (818) 706-1613.

Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling

Under a state law enacted in 1989, all cities were required to adopted and implement programs to reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills for disposal by fifty percent.  The deadline for compliance was January 2000.  The City Planning Department directed development of a plan for achieving the mandated waste reduction and is responsible for ongoing implementation of waste reduction and recycling programs.  Such programs include curbside collection of recyclable materials and green waste in residential neighborhoods, technical assistance to businesses in instituting waste reduction and recycling programs, educational programs, and monitoring and enforcement of the City’s solid waste reduction ordinances.   The City has met the fifty percent reduction mandate, and the Planning Department continues to oversee program implementation and submit annual compliance reports to the State Integrated Waste Management Board.

Waste Management/G.I. Industries provides solid waste collection services to all residential neighborhoods within the City.   Collection services are not provided on New Years Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.   In the event that the holiday falls on a regular scheduled weekly collection day, collection service will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the impacted week.