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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 1Ch. 4Art. 2.5§ 65866 Development Agreement Rules

§ 65866 Development Agreement Rules

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 65866 Development Agreement Rules

Key Takeaways

  • •The rules for building on land (like what you can build, how big, and how it should look) are based on the rules when the agreement was signed.
  • •The city can still make new rules later, but they can't conflict with the original rules in the agreement.
  • •The city can still say no or put conditions on new building projects using the old or new rules.

Example

You sign a deal to build houses on land where the rules say you can build 10 houses. Later, the city changes the rules to allow only 5 houses.

You can still build 10 houses because the rules when you signed the deal apply. But if you want to build something else later, the city can use the new rules to decide.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 65866 Development Agreement Rules

(a) Unless otherwise provided by the development agreement, rules, regulations, and official policies governing permitted uses of the land, governing density, and governing design, improvement, and construction standards and specifications, applicable to development of the property subject to a development agreement, shall be those rules, regulations, and official policies in force at the time of execution of the agreement. A development agreement shall not prevent a city, county, or city and county, in subsequent actions applicable to the property, from applying new rules, regulations, and policies which do not conflict with those rules, regulations, and policies applicable to the property as set forth herein, nor shall a development agreement prevent a city, county, or city and county from denying or conditionally approving any subsequent development project application on the basis of these existing or new rules, regulations, and policies. (b) Notwithstanding Section 65803, this section shall also apply to a charter city. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 856, Sec. 11. (SB 1333) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

agreementdevelopmentpropertyregulationdensityconstructionimprovementexecution

Related Statutes

  • § 65865.2 Development Agreement Requirements
  • § 65864 Development Project Approval Certainty
  • § 65865 Local Development Agreements
  • § 65865.4 Development Agreement Enforcement
  • § 65868.5 Development Agreement Recording Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 65866.
View Official Source