Ventura County planning commission approves Phase 2 text amendments to noncoastal zoning ordinance

VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Planning Commission on June 26 voted 4-0 to approve and forward to the Board of Supervisors a package of Phase 2 text amendments to the county—s Noncoastal Zoning Ordinance (case PL24-0023), a set of mostly clerical and minor regulatory changes affecting unincorporated areas of the county.

The commission—s action formally recommends the board adopt the amendments with five additional directions from the commissioners, including adjusting seasonal agricultural sales windows, deleting one section on outdoor kitchens, allowing limited anchoring for portable animal shade structures, raising the maximum height for driveway entrance features to 20 feet, and increasing allowable outdoor display area for small agricultural sales facilities to 1,000 square feet.

The amendments are the second phase of a three‑phase comprehensive update to the Noncoastal Zoning Ordinance (NCZO). Staff described Phase 2 as primarily housekeeping and minor regulatory changes to improve clarity, align local regulations with state law and county practice, and codify planning‑director interpretations. Planning staff said Phase 3 will include more substantive policy changes and could trigger environmental review.

Planning case planner Franca Rosengren opened the hearing with an overview of the package and the amendments— objectives. "Because of the robust nature of this project, my presentation will be approximately 30 minutes or so," Rosengren said. The staff presentation listed changes by ordinance article and highlighted the more substantive items such as an exemption process for County projects, revised definitions, new agricultural-related uses, and updated development standards for specific uses.

Key changes recommended by staff include: - County project exemption: Proposed language would exempt County projects and projects on County‑owned land (including Public Works capital improvement projects) from some NCZO regulations, shifting responsibility for project consistency reviews and environmental review to the responsible County agency. - Agricultural wind machines: The package would allow planning‑director determinations permitting agricultural wind‑generation machines (frost fans) to exceed the standard 15‑foot height limit for accessory agricultural structures up…