Every application for development approval shall be in a form specified by the City Manager.

Applications that will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission or the Zoning Board of Adjustment must be filed at least 21 days in advance of the scheduled public hearing, in order to allow adequate time for staff review and preparation of a staff report and publication of notice.

No application shall be processed until it has been deemed complete by the City Manager. The City Manager shall have 5 working days following the submission of the application to determine its completeness. If the application is deemed incomplete, the City Manager shall forward a letter to the applicant specifying the application’s deficiencies, and no further review of the application shall proceed until the deficiencies are corrected. If the deficiencies are not corrected by the application deadline date, the application shall not be scheduled for public hearing.

Prior to the meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission or the Zoning Board of Adjustment a notice of public hearings shall also be sent by mail to owners of real property within at least 200 feet of the lot or parcel lines of the land that is the subject of the application. Owners of real property shall be identified by reference to the most recent tax records. Notice shall be deemed mailed by virtue of its deposit with the United States Postal Service, properly addressed with postage prepaid.

Mailed notice shall be deposited in the U.S. Mail before the 10th day before the date of the public hearing.

In addition to the mailed notice in 1 and 2 above, a notice shall be posted to the City of Littlefield website and a location at City Hall available to the general public before the 10th day of a hearing.

The general location of the land that is the subject of the application;

A summary of the subject property’s legal description by plat or metes and bounds and/or a street address, if available, or other locative information;

The substance of the application;

The time, date and location of the public hearing;

A contact person at the City and their telephone number; and

A statement that interested parties may appear at the public hearing and be heard with respect to the application.

An applicant may withdraw an application or request at any time prior to a vote by the body before whom a matter is pending. Such withdrawal shall be in writing to the City Manager and effective upon delivery. If the City Manager does not timely receive such notification, the case will proceed as scheduled. The appropriate municipal board, commission or council is then authorized to take action on the case, after the scheduled hearing. An applicant may not again file any request or application seeking the same or substantially the same relief as was sought in the withdrawn matter, until after 180 days have lapsed from date of withdrawal.

After public hearing on any matter within the scope of this Zoning Ordinance, the appropriate municipal board, commission or council hearing such matter may defer action on it by delay to date certain or tabling the item during the posted meeting, for a period of time necessary to gather additional information.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is specifically directed by majority vote of the City Council to re-hear the subsequent request after due consideration within a posted City Council action item on a regular or special agenda; or

The subsequent request is for more restrictive zoning; or

The zoning classification of other nearby properties in the immediate vicinity has changed, thus creating “changed circumstances” in the opinion of the Planning and Zoning Commission.