San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code Ch. 19.09 Renewable Energy

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

This chapter shall not apply to solar energy systems that are not small residential rooftop solar energy systems.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

(a) On or before September 30, 2015, the department of planning and building shall adopt an administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems, including standard plans and checklists. The checklists shall set forth all requirements with which the small residential rooftop solar energy system must comply in order to be eligible for expedited review. The chief building official is hereby authorized and directed to develop such checklist and procedures.

(b) The small residential rooftop solar system permit process, standard plans, and checklists, shall substantially conform to the recommendations for expedited permitting, including the checklists and standard plans, contained in the most current version of the California Solar Permitting Guidebook adopted by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

(c) The chief building official may modify the checklists and standard plans found in the California Solar Permitting Guidebook due to unique climactic, geological, seismological, or topographical conditions.

(d) The checklists and standard plans for small residential rooftop solar energy systems adopted by the department of planning and building, as well as all other required permitting documentation shall be published on the county's website. If the department of planning and building modifies the checklists and standard plans found in the California Solar Permitting Guidebook, the department shall document the unique climactic, geological, seismological or topographical conditions requiring such modifications and shall include such documentation on the county's website.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

(a) The applicant may submit the application and related documentation for a small residential rooftop solar energy system by electronic submittal, with all required permit processing and inspection fees, as specified on the county's website. Electronic signatures shall be accepted by the department of planning and building on all electronic submittals in lieu of a wet signature.

(b) An application for a small residential rooftop solar energy system shall be deemed complete when the department of planning and building staff determines that the application satisfies all the information requirements in the checklists and standard plans.

(c) If an application is deemed incomplete, a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information or documentation required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance shall be sent to the applicant for resubmission.

(d) Applications for small residential rooftop solar energy systems shall be administratively reviewed and approved by the chief building official at nondiscretionary permits within in a reasonable time following receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the county's approved checklists, standards plans, and payment of all required permit processing and inspection fees.

(e) The department of planning and building may require the applicant to apply for a plot plan or site plan pursuant to Title 22 or Title 23 of the San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code and all provisions of those sections of the applicable title (Title 22-inland, Title 23-coastal) of San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code shall apply if the department finds, based on substantial evidence, that the proposed small residential rooftop solar energy system could have a specific, adverse impact on the public health and safety.

(f) Approval of an application for a small residential rooftop solar energy system shall not be based or conditioned on the approval of an association, as defined in section 4080 of the Civil Code.

(g) Approval does not authorize an applicant to connect the small residential rooftop energy system to the local utility's electricity grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or permission from the local utility.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

(a) Only one inspection shall be required and performed by staff for small residential rooftop solar energy systems eligible for expedited review.

(b) The inspection shall be completed in a timely manner.

(c) A separate fire inspection may be performed if an agreement with the local fire authority does not exist to perform safety inspections on behalf of the fire authority.

(d) If a small residential rooftop solar energy system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized but need not conform to the requirements of this section.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

(a) Consistent with Government Code Section 65850.7, the chief building official shall implement an expedited administrative permit review process for electric vehicle charging stations and adopt a checklist of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations shall comply with in order to be eligible for expedited review. The expedited administrative permit review process and checklist may refer to the recommendations in the checklist prescribed by the most current version of the "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist" of the "Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook" published by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. The county's adopted checklist shall be published on the county's website.

(b) The department of planning and building shall adopt an administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review process for electric vehicle charging stations, checklists. The checklists shall set forth all requirements with which the electric vehicle charging stations must comply in order to be eligible for expedited review. The chief building official is hereby authorized and directed to develop such checklist and procedures.

(c) The electric vehicle charging station permit process and checklists, shall substantially conform to the recommendations for expedited permitting, including the checklists contained in the most current version of the electric zero emissions vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guide Book adopted by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

(d) The chief building official may modify the checklists found in zero emissions vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guide Book due to unique climactic, geological, seismological, or topographical conditions.

(e) The checklists for electric vehicle charging stations adopted by the department of planning and building, as well as all other required permitting documentation shall be published on the county's website. If the department of planning and building modifies the checklists and standard plans found in the zero emissions vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guide Book, the department shall document the unique climactic, geological, seismological or topographical conditions requiring such modifications and shall also include such documentation on the county's website.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

This section shall not apply to electric vehicle charging station projects that include additional scope. All electric vehicle charging station projects with additional scope shall be processed under Section 105.3.1 of the San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code and the provisions of this section shall not apply.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

As used in Section 19.09.010, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) Electronic Submittal. The utilization of one or more of the following:

a. Email;

b. Internet;

c. Facsimile.

(2) Electric Vehicle. An electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with a battery or generator to convert fuel to electricity.

(3) Electric Vehicle Charging Station. An electric vehicle charging station, also called EV charging station, electric recharging point, charging point, charge point and EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment), is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, such as plug-in electric vehicles, including electric cars, neighborhood electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

(a) The applicant may submit the application and related documentation for an electric vehicle charging station by electronic submittal, with all required permit processing and inspection fees, as specified on the county's website. Electronic signatures shall be accepted by the department of planning and building on all electronic submittals in lieu of a wet signature.

(b) An application for a electric vehicle charging station shall be deemed complete when the department of planning and building staff determines that the application satisfies all the information requirements in the checklists.

(c) If an application is deemed incomplete, a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information or documentation required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance shall be sent to the applicant for resubmission.

(d) Applications for electric vehicle charging station shall be administratively reviewed and approved by the chief building official at nondiscretionary permits within in a reasonable time following receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the county's approved checklists, and payment of all required permit processing and inspection fees.

(e) The department of planning and building may require the applicant to apply for a plot plan or site plan pursuant to Title 22 or Title 23 of the San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code and all provisions of those sections of the applicable title (Title 22-inland, Title 23-coastal) of San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code shall apply if the department finds, based on substantial evidence, that the proposed electric vehicle charging station could have a specific, adverse impact on the public health and safety.

(f) Approval of an application for an electric vehicle charging station shall not be based or conditioned on the approval of an association, as defined in section 4080 of the Civil Code.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)

(a) The inspection shall be completed in a timely manner.

If an electric vehicle charging station fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized but need not conform to the requirements of this section.

(Ord. No. 3343, § 1, 12-6-16; Ord. No. 3400, § 1, 11-19-19)