Table of Contents

Hazard Mitigation

The county’s zoning code includes multiple overlay districts designed to reduce hazard risk.

The Floodplain Overlay District exceeds the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s minimum requirements (§37). It requires all new or rehabilitated structures to be elevated to at least two feet above base flood elevation.

The Geologic Hazard Overly District prohibits new structures in areas prone to landslide, rockfall, mudflow, and creep (§38).

The Wildfire Hazard Overlay District requires new development to obtain a defensible space permit to control the spread of wildfire (§39).

The Dripping Bedrock Overlay District prohibits new occupied structures in areas where bedrock is dissolving (§40).

Solar Energy

The county's Zoning Resolution includes a section on Alternate Energy Sources that includes solar energy conversion systems, or SECS (Sec. 8). It establishes an administrative review process for approvals of both commercial and noncommercial systems and lists permit requirements (Sec. 8.B). The code provides specific performance standards for noncommercial SECS (Sec. 8.C.1.c) addressing height, placement, setbacks, and color; building-mounted systems are preferable. Standards for commercial SECS address minimum lot size, setbacks, heights, safety signage, and decommissioning (Sec. 8.C.2.c). Noncommercial SECS are permitted by right with administrative review in all districts except M-C; commercial SECS are permitted by right with administrative review in most industrial, agricultural, and corridor districts (Table AES-1).

Architectural building design requirements specify that solar panels on pitched roofs do not require screening (Sec. 13.H.3).

Energy collection devices, including solar panels, may be permitted by the County in Geologic Hazard Overlay Districts (Sec. 31.D).