Table of Contents

Group Housing

The county's zoning ordinance defines and regulates "group homes" and "group care facilities" (Chapter 2). 

Group homes for not more than 10 people are permitted by right in all residential districts, subject to state licensing requirements and a separation requirement of 1,320 feet from other group homes (e.g., §501.2.4). Group homes of more than 10 people are allowed as special uses in all zoning districts (§1301.1.8). 

Home Occupations

The county’s zoning code distinguishes between high- and low-intensity home occupations.

The code permits low-intensity “residential” home occupations by right subject to use-specific standards. It allows high-intensity “cottage industry” home occupations with a discretionary use permit, subject to use-specific standards (§201).

Low-intensity “residential” home occupations must comply with location and space, employee, utility, nuisance, equipment and materials, dwelling modification sign, commercial vehicle, customer/client visitation, delivery, hours of operation, storage, lighting, and sign standards (§501.2.10 & §601.2.8). It permits “residential” home occupations in single family residential and rural zoning districts.

High-intensity “cottage industry” home occupations do not meet the performance standards listed above. Discretionary use permit considerations may include employee, hours of operation, delivery, materials, vehicle, parking, landscaping, sign, paved access, and lighting requirements (§1301.1.18).

Solar Energy

The zoning ordinance defines solar access, concentrating solar, photo-voltaic solar generating system, and concentrating solar power (Chap. 2).

CSP generating facilities or PV solar generating facilities are allowed as either a primary or accessory use in the IND-3 zoning district and as special uses in other specified districts (Article 1206.2.3 and 1206.2.4).

The ordinance allows for ground-mounted equipment (not including solar panels) associated with renewable energy systems to be located within a lot's side yard provided the equipment does not interfere with a building's ingress or egress (1206.3.1.D.).

The ordinance describes regulations for lot coverage, rear yard coverage, and height limitations for PV solar panels and concentrating solar collectors (1206.3.2 and 1206.3.3). It discusses exemptions for certain off-grid solar panels (1206.3.4) and describes how to calculate measurements for lot coverage, rear yard coverage, height, and setbacks pertaining to solar panels/collectors (1206.4).