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Whitman County planning commission narrows where community and commercial solar could go
Summary
Commissioners reviewed draft solar zoning that distinguishes small 'community-scale' projects from larger commercial facilities, agreed to allow community systems in several unincorporated residential zones and asked staff to craft draft CUP language to permit local projects while keeping commercial arrays to corridor, agricultural and industrial areas.
The Whitman County Planning Commission reviewed draft zoning rules that separate community-scale solar from commercial-scale projects, asking staff to add language that would let small local projects proceed through the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process while keeping larger, commercial systems in more limited districts. Rachel Granrath of Kimley Horn presented the draft and said community-scale systems would be permitted in agricultural and corridor districts and that commercial systems would be allowed in agricultural, corridor and industrial zones.
"So the way we drafted is that it's permitted in the agricultural district for community, as well as the North And South Pullman Corridor district zones," consultant Rachel Granrath said while sharing the memorandum. Commissioners signaled support for leaving the door open to community-scale projects in rural community residential designations (RCR/RCC) so small towns such as Diamond or Steptoe could host systems that serve local needs.
Commissioners emphasized permitting mechanism choice: several members agreed variances are rare and that community projects are better handled through CUPs with site-specific thresholds. Chair Brian Davies asked staff to return draft code language that explicitly allows community-scale projects in the identified unincorporated zones and to add guidance on how community consent or buy-in would be demonstrated during the permitting process.
