Bakersfield Municipal Code Ch. 15.58 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Expedited Building

PERMIT PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

Whenever used in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context, the words set out in this section shall have the following meanings:

A. “Building director” means the chief building official, or a regularly authorized deputy.

B. “Electric vehicle charging station” means any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station that is designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electric Code, as it reads on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section, and delivers electricity from outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle.

C. “Electronic submittal” means the utilization of electronic e-mail or submittal via the Internet.

D. A “feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact” includes, but is not limited to, any cost effective method, condition or mitigation imposed on another similarly situated application in a prior successful application for a permit.

E. “Specific adverse impact” means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified, and written public health or safety standards, policies or conditions as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete. (Ord. 4861 § 1, 2016)

The purpose of the chapter is to provide an expedited, streamlined building permit process that complies with state law in order to achieve timely and cost-effective installations of electric vehicle charging stations. (Ord. 4861 § 1, 2016)

A. All documents required for the submission of an expedited electric vehicle charging station building permit application shall be made available on the city website.

B. Electronic submittal of the required building permit application and documents by email, or the Internet when in operation shall be made available to all electric vehicle charging station permit applicants.

C. The building director shall adopt a checklist of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations shall comply to be eligible for expedited review.

D. The electric vehicle charging stations permit process and checklist shall substantially conform to recommendations for expedited permitting, including the checklist contained in the most current version of the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist of the “Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook” adopted by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. (Ord. 4861 § 1, 2016)

A. This section applies to the issuance of building permits for electric vehicle charging stations in the city.

B. Electric vehicle charging stations legally established or permitted prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter are not subject to the requirements of this chapter unless physical modifications or alterations are undertaken that materially change the size, type, or components of an electronic vehicle charging station. Routine operation and maintenance or like-kind replacements for electric vehicle charging stations shall not require a permit. (Ord. 4861 § 1, 2016)

A. All electric vehicle charging stations shall meet applicable health and safety standards and requirements imposed by the state and the city.

B. Electric vehicle charging stations shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the California Electrical Code, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the public utilities commission regarding safety and reliability. (Ord. 4861 § 1, 2016)

A. The building director shall issue a building permit, the issuance of which is nondiscretionary, for complete applications that meet all the requirements.

B. If an application is deemed incomplete, the building director shall issue a written correction notice to the applicant detailing all deficiencies in the application, and any additional information or documentation or payment of fees required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance shall be sent to the applicant for resubmission.

C. The building director may require an applicant to apply for a conditional use permit if the director finds, based on substantial evidence, that the electric vehicle charging station could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety. Such decisions may be appealed to the city planning commission.

D. If a conditional use permit is required, the city may deny such application if it makes written findings based upon substantive evidence in the record that the proposed installation would have a specific, adverse impact upon public health or safety and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the adverse impact. Such findings shall include the basis for the rejection of the potential feasible alternative for preventing the adverse impact. Such decisions may be appealed to the city planning commission.

E. Any condition imposed on an application shall be designed to mitigate the specific, adverse impact upon health and safety at the lowest possible cost. (Ord. 4861 § 1, 2016)

II. Miscellaneous Regulations