Decision-Makers & Approvals

Type of Permit

Type of permit needed is for Commercial Solar II on land zoned Agricultural: 

• UPB (Conditional Use Permit by the Board of Supervisors). This decision is made by the Board of Supervisors.

This portion of the Zoning Chart shows the type of permit needed for Commercial Solar II.

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Application

Application process begins on page 21 of this Development/Approvals document.

A table of the process is on page 39.

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1. Pre-app meeting. These are scheduled for the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Applicants for rezoning and/or use permits should schedule a pre-app.

1. Bring plans and description of sufficient detail

1. Early outreach with residents, businesses, and CPAC group(s). Process should include appropriate documentation (p.23)
2. Application and fees submittal
3. Early project review
4. Application processing and environmental review
5. CPAC and DRAC (Design Review Action Committee) review
6. Condition review
7. Staff report preparation and release
8. Schedule and notice hearings (p.33)
9. Recommending body review as necessary
10. Decision body approval

The County is operating with an interim Executive, Ann Edwards. Edwards was formerly the director of the county’s Department of Human Assistance. She took over when the incumbent county Executive, Nav Gill, resigned pending the release of an investigation into his conduct. 

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Supervisor Phil Serna and Supervisor Patrick Kennedy called for Gill’s resignation when misconduct allegations first surfaced; he refused. After a 5-0 vote to place him on paid administrative leave while under investigation, a new Supervisor, Rich Desmond, joined the board (1/4/2023), replacing retired incumbent Susan Peters. 

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Desmond and board chair Sue Frost are both public about their support for Gill; there may be residual strain between supervisors as a result of this challenging time. Desmond is former law enforcement, and Gill’s alleged misuse of funds included giving 70% of COVID relief funds to the Sheriff’s department while denying funding for public health to fight the pandemic.

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Desmond has made public statements that indicate he and Serna disagree on most things. In a press piece, he remarked that he and Supervisor Serna want to “clean up homelessness” on the American River Parkway, adding “On that issue, we can find common ground”.

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Phil Serna endorsed Desmond’s opponent, SMUD Director Gregg Fishman, in the 2019 election. Both Hume and Desmond won by very slim margins.

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Serna and Kennedy, as long-term incumbents, seem allied. 

Memo to Board of Supervisors with recommendations on White Rock Solar.  March 24, 2021

PowerPoint from White Rock Solar.

• Recognize the exempt status of the request under Section 15317, Class 17 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
• Adopt an Amendment to Agricultural Preserve Resolutions 69-AP-4, 69-AP-5, 69-AP-6, 69-AP-7, and 69-AP-8 to allow solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage as a compatible use.
• Adopt an Amendment to Agricultural Preserve Resolution 70-AP-044 to diminish the size of the preserve and to allow solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage as a compatible use.