Seaside council streamlines Campus Town review process, drops routine peer review for ministerial applications

The Seaside City Council on Feb. 5 approved an amendment to the Campus Town Specific Plan aimed at speeding development review by cutting process steps staff said were redundant.

Housing and planning manager Andrew Myrick told the council staff had found multiple procedural inefficiencies in chapter 6 of the specific plan, including a requirement for outside architectural peer review on many ministerial permits and separate sequential reviews for completeness and conformance. "We would do a peer review for the original model once, and then every time that house gets built thereafter would not need a separate architectural review," Myrick said. The amendment removes routine peer review for many small permits, combines the two review steps into one, and permits digital‑only submittals to reduce filing burdens.

Myrick said the changes do not alter the substantive development standards in the specific plan; larger projects such as hotels and commercial centers will still receive architectural peer review. Planning Commission recommended approval and staff said the amendments retain council oversight where appropriate. Councilmembers supported the change as a reduction in administrative drag, with the mayor noting the savings are often passed to homeowners.

Council adopted the resolution to amend the specific plan after a public hearing; no votes against were recorded.