Afik HanahalDistrict Planning and Building Committee
In short
The district committee is the tier above the local committee. Real rezoning - from agriculture to housing, for instance - usually goes through it. Most Sharon cities belong to the Central District.
The professional explanation
Israel has six district committees (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Central, Haifa, North, South) within the Planning Administration. Hod Hasharon, Kfar Saba, Ra'anana and Ramat Hasharon are in the Central District; Herzliya in the Tel Aviv District.
The committee hears plans outside local authority, decides on deposit, hears objections (often via an investigator or objections sub-committee) and approves. A district appeals committee hears appeals on local committee decisions on permits and betterment levies.
District committee timelines depend on workload, plan scope and infrastructure complexity; the law sets target dates, but in practice they stretch.
Example from the field
A plan to extend a Kfar Saba neighbourhood onto private agricultural land was submitted to the Central District committee. Deposit was delayed by Ministry of Transport traffic requirements and approved after amendments.