San Bernardino planning commission backs expedited permitting for electric vehicle charging

The City of San Bernardino Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend that the City Council adopt an ordinance creating an expedited permitting process for electric‑vehicle (EV) charging facilities, citing state requirements established by AB 1236 and AB 970.

Planning staff presented the proposal as an amendment to the local land‑use code that would allow ministerial review of qualifying EV charging projects and impose timelines and parking rules consistent with state law. "AB 12 36 ... requires local agencies to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited and streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging systems," said Mister Elliott, the planning staff presenter.

Commissioners pressed staff on how quickly the city could process applications under the new rules and whether the city’s third‑party plan checker, Willdan, could meet statutory timelines. Mister Elliott said timelines depend on the completeness of applications and that, under the state law, an application may be deemed approved if the city does not identify deficiencies and act within the prescribed period. He added the city has an internal plan‑checking staff who could share work to avoid automatic approvals.

Staff told the commission the city already maintains a checklist for expedited processing but must adopt the ordinance as written to avoid possible litigation and to ensure consistent timelines. Staff said there are no significant fiscal impacts tied to enforcing the ordinance using existing Community Development resources.

After discussion, the commission moved to call the question and then voted to approve the staff recommendation and forward a resolution to the City Council. The commission’s recommendation does not itself change city code; its action directs the council to consider the ordinance at a future meeting.