Chino Valley planning commission forwards renewable-energy UDO amendment to council with minor change

The Chino Valley Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 2 voted unanimously to forward a proposed amendment to the town Unified Development Ordinance addressing renewable energy to the Town Council, with one editorial change to clarify that small wind turbines may be mounted on structures as well as on the ground.

Will Dingey, assistant director for development services, told the commission the text amendment, TA 2025-05, was drafted after the Town Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance prohibiting utility-scale solar, wind, concentrated solar power (CSP) and battery energy storage systems following a March council vote. "Tonight before you is text amendment TA 2025-05, and this is a proposed text amendment to address renewable energy — utility-scale solar and wind — here within Chino Valley town limits," Dingey said.

The draft ordinance adds definitions to UDO section 2.2 for concentrated solar power (CSP), utility-scale solar facility and utility-scale wind farm, and revises the town's permitted-uses language so uses not listed as permitted in a zoning district are not allowed. It also creates a new UDO section 4.33 that governs small-scale installations.

Under the proposed language, roof-mounted solar panels remain allowed on homes and parking structures provided the primary purpose of a structure is not to hold panels and commercial parking-structure panels are limited to the area above required parking stalls. Ground-mounted solar arrays are allowed on individual residential properties only if the electricity generated is used exclusively on-site and the installation does not meet the definition of a utility-scale solar facility. Ground- or structure-mounted wind turbines are allowed on individual residential properties if power is used exclusively on-site; the draft limits turbines to one per acre with a maximum of three turbines per property and sets a 35-foot height limit unless a conditional use permit is granted. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are allowed in homes and businesses so long as stored energy is used exclusively on-site; the draft places no numerical cap on battery quantity.

Commission discussion clarified several points. Commissioners asked whether the phrase "except as otherwise provided in this ordinance" was necessary in the permitted-uses section; staff responded it preserves other code provisions that are expressly allowed elsewhere, such as conditional-use frameworks. Commissioners also requested that the wind-turbine provision explicitly cover structure-mounted turbines as well as roof- and ground-mounted devices; the motion forwarded the amendment with that change.

No members of the public filled out speaker cards to give oral comments, and the public-hearing portion of the item was opened and closed with no speakers.

A motion to forward TA 2025-05 to Town Council with the added wording in section 4.33(c) to read "ground-mounted or structure-mounted wind turbines" carried on a roll-call vote. The commission's roll call recorded the following votes: Commissioner Welker — yes; Commissioner Pizzi — yes; Alternate Member Morabito — yes; Commissioner Zamudio — yes; Commissioner Meadors — yes; Vice Chair Paciak — yes; Chair Merritt — yes. Chair Merritt closed the item by thanking staff and commissioners for their work and public participants for their engagement: "The motion passes unanimously. Thank you, town staff, for a lot of hard work on a tough issue," he said.

The commission's action is a recommendation; final action on TA 2025-05 rests with the Town Council. At the meeting staff also reported two prior council actions: denial of the Wilkinson solar farm conditional-use permit and the adoption of text amendment TA 2025-03 (bringing back AR 36).