Lake County board advances zoning changes to meet state housing-element tasks after heated debate

The Lake County Board of Supervisors advanced the first reading of an ordinance on Jan. 6 to amend multiple sections of the county zoning code to implement tasks from the sixth-cycle housing element, a move the state required as part of the county's housing compliance. The ordinance changes passed on first reading by a 4-1 vote; the board also voted 4-1 to advance the ordinance to a future agenda and adopted an internal Community Development Department policy to implement HE-6.

Community Development Director Maria Turner told the board the package focuses on removing regulatory barriers to housing in parts of the county where services exist and on bringing the county into compliance with state law. The proposed changes include allowing additional residential development in community commercial zones (HE-38), permitting supportive housing by right where support services are available, setting a 180-day maximum stay for emergency shelters and removing a 300-foot buffer…