Haley Lang, planning director, opened a public hearing on the zoning-code diagnostic report, describing it as a high-level review of what the county’s zoning code allows and where it may be out of step with state law and current practice.

"This is really just the first discussion of a long slate of meetings that we'll have regarding zoning," Lang said, explaining the staff intent to use the diagnostic as a starting point for code updates tied to the general plan work.

Commissioners and staff discussed a long list of questions from the staff report. Topics included whether residential-care facilities and day-care homes should be allowed by right in residential zones or approved administratively; whether institutional uses such as schools and churches should require conditional review depending on size and neighborhood compatibility; and whether cottage-food operations (small-scale food production permitted by state law) should be explicitly mirrored in the zoning code for clarity.

Commissioner Hart said care facilities and day-care homes make sense in residential zones because they are typically closer to services, and suggested administrative approval by planning staff for smaller operations, bringing larger ones to the commission. Other commissioners proposed thresholds (for example, administrative approval for facilities with fewer than 10 clients; commission review for larger operations).

Lang highlighted recent changes in state law expanding where accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can be sited and said staff expects to return zoning revisions and the safety element for further review in roughly 30 to 60 days. Commissioners discussed mixed-use development — small commercial uses combined with housing — and staff suggested administrative or conditional-use pathways depending on scale and parking/ADA implications.

The commission also debated classification of personal-service businesses such as massage therapists. Staff noted the California Massage Therapy Council certification is voluntary and county zoning typically classifies such businesses under broad "personal services" definitions in commercial districts. Commissioners suggested distinguishing therapeutic massage and sports-medicine practices from adult-oriented businesses in the code; several commissioners said therapeutic and licensed practitioners should be allowed in commercial zones and in some residential contexts if building and health-code requirements are met.

A substantial portion of the discussion focused on accessory uses in agricultural and rural-residential districts: whether storage, processing and add-value activities (for example, a local hay press, a seed warehouse serving an associated nursery, or a small mill) should be treated as accessory and allowed by right when linked to an income-producing agricultural operation. Commissioners and staff debated whether on-site processing and storage of a commodity produced or owned by the same agricultural operation should require conditional use review. Several commissioners recommended clarifying the code so that value‑added processing incidental to operations (but not third‑party warehousing or commercial distribution that is unrelated to the parcel’s agricultural production) could be allowed with fewer discretionary approvals. Staff cautioned that water, state water‑quality rules (North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board) and building-code/ADA issues commonly constrain home‑based business and ADU conversions.

Members of the public spoke during the hearing. Fitz Yaw, a resident, requested more opportunity to allow small-scale commercial activity in some subdivisions where current rules prohibit it. Another resident, Eliza, said many rural property owners lack reliable year-round water and asked the county to consider how water requirements limit the ability of people to build modest homes or operate small enterprises on their land.

No land-use decisions were made; staff said they will return with code language and more in-depth proposals. Lang and staff asked commissioners for direction about which uses to allow by right, which to allow administratively, and which should require conditional review as they draft code changes to align with the general plan.