Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trinity County readies public‑review draft of zoning update; board, commission to hold joint study session in May
Summary
Consultants presented a reorganized zoning code and proposed outreach: a public‑review draft planned for April 2026, followed by a 30–45 day comment period and a mid‑May joint board/planning commission study session. The code retools zones, adds a mixed‑use district and a director’s permit to streamline some approvals.
Consultants and county staff on March 17 presented a consolidated draft of Trinity County’s zoning-code rewrite and asked the board how it wanted the public-review and study-session phase to proceed. The draft reorganizes the ordinance into seven parts, adds a mixed‑use zone, tightens and clarifies standards for accessory dwelling units and home‑based businesses, proposes a director’s use permit for some site approvals, and updates parking, loading and signage standards.
Michael Gibbons of Mintier Harnish, the county’s planning consultant, said the most noticeable change is the code’s new organization to make frequently used provisions easier to find. He described new land‑use tables, updated definitions (including tiny homes and accessory structures), and proposed overlay zones that recognize airport compatibility and previously adopted cannabis opt‑out areas.
Gibbons told the board that the project team has completed administrative drafts and multiple planning‑commission study sessions. The consultant recommended publishing a public‑review draft in April 2026, opening a 30–45 day comment window, and holding more comprehensive engagement in May. Board members and public commenters urged broad outreach across the county and asked that staff make the draft maps and code easy to find and understand online. Several speakers requested evening meeting times and district‑level briefings to increase participation.
Board direction: supervisors agreed on a plan to release the public‑review draft in April, open the comment period for several weeks, and hold a mid‑May joint study session with the planning commission in Weaverville that would also be accessible virtually. Supervisors also said they will hold district briefings in their own communities during the public comment period and asked staff to prepare a detailed timeline showing remaining milestones (public‑review release, study sessions, EIR schedule, and adoption hearings) and associated notice plans.
Next steps: staff and consultants will release the public‑review draft, publish the zoning map and related materials online, compile public comments, and schedule the joint board/commission study session in May. The county will also coordinate additional in‑district outreach and return with a timeline and engagement-summary to the board.
