Planning

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Cupertino's team of 6 planners serves an active community with thousands of property owners, contractors, sign makers, brokers, architects, designers, public agencies and many others.

About the Planning Division 

The Planning Division provides efficient and responsive professional planning services to the community and implements city development policies, programs, and regulations. The primary responsibilities of the Planning Division are to assist the community to plan and foresee future land uses and policies and to review current development proposals for conformance with the City’s adopted policies and ordinances. The Planning Division administers land use regulations while striving to enhance the livability of Cupertino by fostering a healthy, prosperous and sustainable community environment.

The services and duties of the Planning Division are guided by several government codes, regulations, statutes and other procedural documents, including but not limited to:

The Planning Division serves as staff to the City Council on land use issues and to the following regular commissions and committees:

The Assistant Director of Community Development serves as the Hearing Officer for Administrative Hearings. Planning Division staff review and present projects to the Hearing Officer for a decision on certain projects as outlined in the Cupertino Municipal Code. These decisions are posted online here.

Agendas and minutes of these commissions, committees and meetings, when available, are posted online.

 

 

ALERT!

IN OBSERVANCE OF PRESIDENT'S DAY HOLIDAY, PLANNING DIVISION WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH, 2024. NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS WILL RESUME ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2024. 

PLEASE NOTEDue to a high volume of permit applications and staff resources, the time frame for plan review is currently longer than normal. We appreciate your patience as we seek additional support. The target average plan review time frames are 20-30 business days for the initial plan review and 15-25 business days for each subsequent review.

Telephone/Online Consultation: Telephonic consultation is highly encouraged. Call 408.777.3308. Please note that in most cases, your inquiry can be efficiently and swiftly handled remotely with no need to visit City Hall. Please allow a minimum of two business days for a response to phone calls or emails. 

In-person Counter Hours (As of 7/3/2023):
M & W : 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tu & Th: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM  
Virtual Counter Hours (As of 7/3/2023): (make an appointment below)
F : 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM


Submitting Plans: 
Hard copies of plans are no longer accepted by the City.

  • For courtesy preliminary review: Please use Accela to upload plans and information electronically at www.cupertino.org/aca to initiate an application for a courtesy, no-cost preliminary review of your proposal.
  • For Planning applications: Please talk to a Planner for instructions on how to make an application and upload plans. Planners have to take certain actions before plans can be uploaded. Plans must be uploaded using ProjectDox (cupertino.org/projectdox).

Phone: 408.777.3308
Fax: 408.777.3333
Email: planning@cupertino.org

Please consider the following suggestions to get information and manage your project as efficiently as possible:

1. Email your question to planning@cupertino.org - our team is on rotation to answer these emails daily and we will either respond with an answer or direct your inquiry to the right person.

2. Search the website for resources such as formspublic recordsthe Municipal Code, and major project updates.

3. Sign up for e-notifications to get updates on topics, events and projects that interest you.

4. Make an appointment by emailing your project planner or planning@cupertino.org or by calling 408-777-3308

5. Communicate with your project planner. All applications are assigned to a single planner who will guide you through the entire process, from the preliminary concept phase to building occupancy.

Are businesses required to obtain a sign permit to display banners and other temporary signs?

Yes, a temporary sign permit must be secured, prior to installing a temporary banner sign or “A-frame” sign. For additional details on temporary sign permits please visit: www.cupertino.org/signs or contact the Planning Division by phone at 408.777.3308 or by email at: planning@cupertino.org.

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