Planning staff will determine whether the project is exempt from Design Review and whether a Design Review Application is subject to staff-level approval from the Community Development Director or from the Planning Commission or Historic District Commission.

If a submittal is considered exempt from design review by Planning staff, the applicant will be referred to the Building Division to determine if a building permit is required for the project.

Design Review Applications are submitted online using eTRAKiT. For instructions on how to apply for Design Review, please visit - Design Review – Commission Level or Design Review – Director Level.

For questions or assistance with your online application, please contact:

Planning Division
Community Development Department
Phone: (916) 461-6202
Email: PlanningEPC@folsom.ca.us

Pursuant to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-29-20, public meetings may be held via teleconference. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the City of Folsom is allowing for remote public input during staff-level design review meetings.

Members of the public are encouraged to participate by emailing comments to the project planner listed on the public notice for that project. Any comments submitted before 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be added to the public record and taken into consideration prior to a staff decision being made. Members of the public may also participate in the meeting by using the phone number and password indicated in the public notice.

A list of active Staff-level Design Review submittals are shown in the table below.

Design Review Applications are submitted to Planning staff. The Planning Counter is located on the second floor of City Hall and is open daily until 5 p.m. The application document includes a detailed list of submittal requirements.

Planning staff will determine whether the Design Review Application is subject to staff-level approval from the Community Development Director or from the Planning/Historic District Commission.

If a submittal is considered exempt from design review by Planning staff, the applicant will be referred to the Building Division to determine if a building permit is required for the project.

Staff determines if Design Review Application is complete or incomplete. A complete list of the submittal requirements is provided with the Design Review Application.

If Design Review Application is considered incomplete, staff will provide a written description of the items necessary to deem the application complete.

Once the design review application is deemed complete, the submittal is reviewed by city staff, including, but not limited to, the Engineering, Building, Arborist, and Planning divisions. A notice will then be posted on the project site informing the public of the day and time of the design review hearing/meeting for the project at least 5 days prior to the hearing/meeting. 

Commission-Level Reviews

For commission-level reviews, a hearing is held by the Planning Commission, or the Historic District Commission if the project is in the Historic District. This meeting occurs on the Wednesday following the posting of the design review notice on the project site at Folsom City Hall, Council Chambers, 50 Natoma Street. Historic District Commission hearings occur at 5 p.m., and Planning Commission hearings occur at 6:30 p.m. The commission votes on whether to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the design review application.

• Staff Reports and Minutes for the Planning Commission
• Staff Reports and Minutes for the Historic District Commission

Anyone dissatisfied with the action of the Planning/Historic District Commission may appeal the decision to the City Council within 10 calendar days of this decision.

Staff-Level Reviews

For staff-level reviews, Planning staff conducts a meeting to discuss the submittal and accept comments from the public. This meeting occurs on the Thursday following the posting of the design review notice on the project site. Meetings take place at 4 p.m. in the Community Development Conference Room on the second floor of City Hall, 50 Natoma Street.

After this meeting, Planning staff will make a decision to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the design review application. The applicant will be notified in writing within 10 calendar days of the decision.

Once a decision is issued regarding the design review application, a notice will be posted on the City of Folsom website stating the decision and the right to file an appeal pursuant to Section 17.06.110 of the municipal code.