Plumas supervisors continue contentious Lake Almanor zone-change after hours of public comment

The Plumas County Board of Supervisors on April 8 continued a public hearing on a zone‑change request that would add a farm animal combining (F) overlay to a 16.93‑acre S‑1 parcel on Highway 147 near Lake Almanor, after more than two hours of public comment and a detailed staff review of environmental issues.

Staff said the change, submitted by property owners Jason and Nicole Stanniger, would apply the F overlay to about nine acres of the parcel and would allow large‑animal husbandry (hooved livestock) where today only small animals such as chickens are explicitly permitted. Planning Director Tracy Ferguson told the board that staff found the proposal exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3), concluding it “can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the project may have a significant effect on the environment.” Ferguson summarized her written findings on noise, water quality, wildlife, wildfire risk and other topics and said accessory structures over 200…