Table of Contents

Home Occupations

The county’s comprehensive plan includes multiple policy recommendations to support home-based businesses. It identifies the need for appropriate services and support for home-based businesses, including assistance in transitioning HBBs into "viable operations" (§3.1.1.5). Other relevant plan components include supporting home-based food processing (strategy 15.5.3) through infrastructure investments (p.85).

The county will base supplemental use regulations, including home occupations, on the updated Future Land Use Map (§2.2.5.3). The plan supports adopting new supplementary zoning use regulations, including home occupations (policy 5.6).

Solar Energy

The county's Sustainable Growth Management Plan addresses solar in several elements. The Land Use Element includes a goal to clarify zoning regulations and streamline the development review process, with a related policy of adopting new zoning regulations for solar and wind farms and renewable energy transmission lines (Policy 5.6). The plan includes a Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Element that discusses renewable energy resources, including solar resources and relevant state legislation (Sec. 7.2.2.2), as well as the development of utility scale solar and wind installations (Sec. 7.2.3.2). A map shows solar and wind energy potential within the county (Map 7-1A). A goal of supporting renewable energy includes related policies of encouraging site and building design to maximize solar and wind orientation (Policy 23.4), supporting renewable energy generation (Policy 23.6), and establishing wind and solar energy standards (Policy 23.7). A goal of supporting the development of renewable energy includes related policies of encouraging solar and wind facilities for new and existing buildings (Policy 24.1), allowing solar and wind installation in developments (Policy 24.2), providing incentives for small-scale renewable energy generation systems (Policy 24.3), researching the potential of creating a solar and wind electrical transmission grid (Policy 24.4), and pursuing renewable energy projects with public and private partners (Policy 24.6). The Sustainable Green Design and Development Element notes that renewable energy use has long been a part of local building design (Sec. 8.2.1).