(a) Any person or governmental agency wishing to place fill, to extract materials, or to make any substantial change in use of any water, land or structure, within the area of the commission’s jurisdiction shall secure a permit from the commission and, if required by law or by ordinance, from any city or county within which any part of the work is to be performed. For purposes of this title, “fill” means earth or any other substance or material, including pilings or structures placed on pilings, and structures floating at some or all times and moored for extended periods, such as houseboats and floating docks. For the purposes of this section “materials” means items exceeding twenty dollars ($20) in value.

(b) The commission shall establish reasonable requirements to assure that sufficient information is provided by permit applicants to allow the commission to act on the applications. The requirements shall include measures to assure that the city or county which has jurisdiction over a project may consider and act on all matters regarding the project that involve a discretionary approval before the commission acts on an application. The city or county shall fully inform the commission on any such matters and the actions taken. The commission shall give full consideration to that information in its application review.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(c) The commission may require a reasonable filing fee and reimbursement of expenses for processing and investigating a permit application from all applicants before the commission, including government agencies notwithstanding Section 6103.

(d) The commission shall prescribe the form and contents of applications for permits. Among other things, an application for a permit shall set forth all public improvements and public utility facilities which are necessary or incidental to the proposed project and the names and mailing addresses of all public agencies or public utilities who will have ownership or control of the public improvements or public utility facilities if the permit is granted and the project is constructed. The executive director shall give written notice of the filing of the application to all such public agencies and public utilities. If the commission grants a permit for a project, the permit shall include all public improvements and public utility facilities which are necessary or incidental to the project.

(e) Upon the filing of an application for a permit by the commission, the commission shall transmit a copy thereof to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. Within 30 days, the regional board shall file a report with the commission indicating the effect of the proposed project on water quality within the bay.

(f) The commission shall take action upon an application for a permit, either denying or granting the permit, within 90 days after it files the application. The permit shall be automatically granted if the commission shall fail to take specific action either denying or granting the permit within the time period specified in this section. A permit shall be granted for a project if the commission finds and declares that the project is either (1) necessary to the health, safety or welfare of the public in the entire bay area, or (2) of such a nature that it will be consistent with the provisions of this title and with the provisions of the San Francisco Bay Plan then in effect. To effectuate those purposes, the commission may grant a permit subject to reasonable terms and conditions including the uses of land or structures, intensity of uses, construction methods and methods for dredging or placing of fill. Thirteen affirmative votes of members of the commission are required to grant a permit. Neither of the federal representatives who are members of the commission may vote on whether or not a permit shall be granted.

Pursuant to this title, the commission may provide by regulation, adopted after public hearing, for the issuance of permits by the executive director, without compliance with the above procedure, in cases of emergency, or for minor repairs to existing installations or minor improvements made anywhere within the area of jurisdiction of the commission including, without limitation, the installation of piers and pilings and maintenance dredging of navigation channels. The commission may also adopt after public hearing such additional regulations as it deems reasonable and necessary to enable it to carry out its functions efficiently and equitably, including regulations classifying the particular water-oriented uses referred to in Section 66602 and 66605.

(g) If the commission denies the permit, the applicant may submit another application for the permit directly to the commission after 90 days from the date of the denial.

(h) Any project authorized pursuant to this section shall be commenced, performed and completed in compliance with the provisions of all permits granted or issued by the commission and by any city or county.

(i) Any action, or proceeding to contest or question the commission’s denial of a permit application, or conditions attached to approval of a permit application, must be commenced in the appropriate court within 90 days following the date of that action by the commission.

(j) Any person who places fill, extracts materials, or makes any substantial change in the use of any water, land, or structure within the area of the commission’s jurisdiction without securing a permit from the commission as required by this title is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 519, Sec. 4.)