Planning commissioners and members of the public pressed staff to replace subjective design language in the Title 17 draft with objective definitions and standards for site design and architectural review.

Commissioner comments focused on several currently ambiguous terms in the draft: “viewshed,” “landform grading” and standards for materials, colors and landscaping. Commissioner Ken Melton described the current phrasing as “subjective” and urged objective definitions that applicants and reviewers can apply consistently.

Public commenter Brenda Ostrom (resident) urged stronger lighting controls, saying the county’s commercial lighting has created glare and pedestrian‑safety issues and that lighting should be addressed under “compatibility with rural character.” She told the commission: “I think we need to add, under compatibility with rural character, a note about dark sky compliance with the lighting.”

Staff accepted the need for clearer definitions and recommended drafting objective, best‑practice definitions (for example, a working definition for “viewshed”) and inserting an explicit lighting standard for resort commercial and neighborhood commercial design standards. Eaton and staff said the town planning area (TPA) code (17.300) already contains lighting provisions for the town center, but staff will add night‑sky requirements for vacation rentals and commercial site design countywide and coordinate with public works and other agencies such as school districts and Caltrans.

Action: Planning Commission directed staff to prepare draft definitions for “viewshed” and “landform grading,” add night‑sky/night‑lighting language to the resort and neighborhood commercial site design standards and to propose how to coordinate lighting requirements with other public agencies.