Land Use Permits

The Planning Division processes all Land Use Applications (except Property Line Adjustments: see Engineering) including but not limited to those listed on this page.

Land Use Applicants

A landowner, developer, or business owner is typically the person who proposes to develop or redevelop a property or structure; the Planning Division refers to this person as the Applicant. 

Before the Applicant moves a business to a new location, opens a new business, modifies a building, or constructs a building they need to contact the Community Development Department and start the Land Use Planning process.

Land Use Planning Process in 10 Steps

Many of the following steps can be bypassed for simpler projects involving fences, signs and residential reviews. The most typical Land Use Planning process is as follows:

1. An Applicant brings a proposal or idea to the Planning Division. Staff discusses the proposal and provides the Applicant with the appropriate land use application form(s).
2. Staff schedules a pre-application meeting to discuss the proposal with the Applicant and other agencies such as the Fire Department, utility providers and Building Department.
3. The Applicant revises their proposal based on staff feedback and pre-application feedback and submits an application with a site plan and application fee.
4. Staff checks the submitted materials for completeness.
5. If determined complete staff will process the application, but if staff determines more information is needed the Applicant has 180 days to submit the missing information or submit a letter in writing stating that all of the information, some of the information, or none of the information will be provided (if this is not done the application becomes void on the 181st day after being deemed incomplete).
6. Staff will process the application administratively or through the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
   1.  Some applications, such as a fence permit, sign permit, residential review addition or new home, minor design review, and a minor variance, are processed administratively and do not require notice to neighbors or a public hearing.
   2. Other applications, such as a design review, conditional use permit, land partition, and major variance, require public notice to    neighbors, but if no objections are raised or no public hearing is requested, then the application can be processed by staff, administratively, otherwise a staff report is produced and the proposal goes before the Planning Commission at a public hearing.
   3. Some other applications, such as annexation, zone change, subdivision, and vacation of public right-of-way, require public notice to neighbors and public hearings before Planning Commission and City Council, and are processed through staff reports and with the exception of a subdivision through the adoption of an ordinance.
7. If administratively processed staff can typically issue a Decisions in 3-4 weeks for most land use applications, with the exceptions of sign and fence permits which usually only take a few days to process. If the application goes to the Planning Commission for public hearing then the decision can take approximately 6 to 8 weeks. If the application goes to City Council on appeal or because it is required the decision can take approximately 10 to 12 weeks.
8. The Decision will state whether the proposal is approved, approved with conditions, or denied. If approved with conditions then the Applicant must meet the conditions as listed before obtaining a Development Permit or other permit approval (such as a fence permit, sign permit, or residential review approval). The Klamath County Building Department will not issue building permits and construction cannot begin until a Development Permit or other permit is obtained.
9. Once a Development Permit or other permit is issued the Applicant may have to obtain a Site Construction Permit through the City Engineering Division before making modifications to the site. If no Site Construction Permit is necessary then the Applicant shall proceed with the project by satisfying the conditions from the Decision and other agencies.
10. Once all of the conditions from the Decision are satisfied the land use planning process is complete. Congratulations!