Coastal Permit Administrator approves ground‑mounted solar and battery backup near Elk, requires fire training after building permit

The Mendocino County Coastal Permit Administrator approved a coastal development permit on Jan. 23 for George and Candace Scarlatos to install a ground-mounted solar array, inverter and battery backup system, including three Tesla Powerwalls, at a property about 4.8 miles south of Elk on State Route 1 (APN 131-070-07).

Project planner Shelby Miller told the administrator that the array would be sited between the existing residence and a fence line, and that the proposal calls for trenching roughly 50 feet along the fence to connect the array to the existing main service panel. Miller said the project would be built in an already disturbed area, so staff did not request a biological survey; the California Department of Fish and Wildlife commented that it had no further concerns because vegetation removal was not proposed. Miller said the project qualified for categorical exemptions under the California Environmental Quality Act, citing sections 15301 (existing facilities) and 15304 (minor alterations to land).

Miller said the Elk Community Services District requested that the Elk Fire Department be provided on-site familiarization and training on the operation and safety characteristics of the proposed solar system. Dan Johnson of 6 River Solar, representing the installation team, clarified that the project includes three Powerwalls, two mounted behind the solar array racking and a third mounted separately, and that the racking would not enlarge the array footprint. "2 of them will be mounted to the back of the solar panel array racking, so there's no increase to the footprint from what you've already considered," Johnson said.

The Coastal Permit Administrator modified condition 9 to require the landowner to coordinate on-site training with the fire chief within 30 days of issuance of the building permit associated with the project, rather than within 30 days of CDP issuance, to ensure the equipment is present for demonstration. No members of the public spoke on the item. The administrator approved the project with revised findings to reflect three Tesla Powerwall systems and the modified training condition. As with the other item, the approval is appealable: 10 calendar days to the Board of Supervisors, then 10 business days to the California Coastal Commission.