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Planning commission debates permanent vs. temporary equipment storage on timber parcels
Summary
Commissioners debated whether the draft zoning definition should treat equipment and material storage as incidental/temporary or as a permanent use, and whether TPZ parcels should allow extended on‑site winter storage used by timber operators.
Members of the Siskiyou County Planning Commission spent several minutes probing whether the draft definition of equipment and material storage was meant to cover temporary wintering of timber equipment or only long‑term, permanent storage. A committee member asked that the time frame not be “prohibitive of what we're actually doing,” noting operators sometimes leave equipment at landings for months.
Staff read the proposed definition aloud, saying: “The definition reads, a use involving the storage of equipment, vehicles, or materials not associated with industrial operations where such storage is limited in scale and conducted in a manner compatible with surrounding agricultural or rural uses.” The staff explanation emphasized the language intends incidental or accessory storage and excludes contractor yards or ongoing outdoor industrial staging.
Commissioners agreed the practical issue was common: “we definitely store equipment for extended periods of time on‑site on TPZ,” one member said, urging that the draft allow temporary seasonal storage so property owners and operators are not forced to relocate equipment between seasons. Staff proposed making the use a permitted one in AG‑1 and AG‑2 and said consultants and county council could refine the wording later when they “wordsmith” the ordinance language.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the provision during this discussion; staff said the draft will be recommended to the board with the commission's comments for further revision.
