LAKE COUNTY >> The discussion of exemptions for non-conforming Valley Fire homeowners extended to the Lake County Planning Commission at its regular meeting on Thursday.
According to Interim Community Development Director Scott DeLeon, the commission agreed with the consensus the Board of Supervisors reached last week: smaller houses that did not previously meet the Zoning Ordinance’s minimum standard of 720 square feet or didn’t conform to boundary line distances should be exempted from having to apply for a Major Use Permit, as required by statute.
Although official action wasn’t taken, District 1 Commissioner and chair Joseph Sullivan said the commission is supportive of future policy that would speed up the rebuilding process for now and future emergencies.
“Maybe some of that stuff has to be toned down, so you don’t have to get one at every major occurrence,” he said.
The discussion also included the possible exemption of residential structures on commercially zoned lots, which was brought up by Principal Planner Audrey Knight.
Meanwhile, the department is trying to get new policy written in front of the Board of Supervisors as fast as it can, using a similar policy recently adopted by Napa County as a guide.
“I think they have an incentive to try and put something together fairly quickly,” he said. “We’re still working on it.”
The move, he added, has received support from the Lake County Association of Realtors.
