Meeting
Planning Commission Agenda
County of Ventura - Resource Management Agency - Planning Division
800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009-1740 - (805)654-2478
 
THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS ALLOWING MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING BOTH IN-PERSON AND THROUGH ZOOM. TO FIND OUT HOW YOU MAY ELECTRONICALLY ATTEND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING AND PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE REFER TO THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AND AT https://vcrma.org/public-comments-for-planning-commission-hearings.
 
Veronica Garcia, Chair 
Maggie Kestly, Vice-Chair
Scott Boydstun, Commissioner
Charles Sandlin, Commissioner 
Earl McPhail, Commissioner
Dave Ward, Planning Director
Jaclyn Smith, County Counsel
Luz Juachon, Recording Secretary
 
Public comments may be provided using the following options: (1) email public comment in advance of the meeting; (2) in-person public comment; (3) video or call-in public comment via Zoom during hearing. For more information regarding these options, please visit https://vcrma.org/public-comments-for-planning-commission-hearings.
Option 1 – If you wish to make a comment on a specific agenda item in advance of the meeting, please submit your comment to the Case Planner for that item via email by 3:30 p.m. on the day prior to the hearing. The Case Planner’s contact information is provided below. Please indicate in the Subject Line of your email, the Agenda Item Number on which you are commenting . Your email will be distributed to the Planning Commissioners and placed into the item’s record at the Planning Commission hearing.
Option 2 – If you wish to make a comment in-person, you must be present at the meeting location and provide your comment prior to the close of the public comment period for the item you wish to speak on.
Option 3 – Register at https://vcrma.org/public-comments-for-planning-commission-hearings before the close of the public comment period for the item you wish to speak on. Please provide your name, email, and the phone number you will be calling in from. Once your registration has been approved, you will receive an email with the Zoom meeting link and password. The participation information is unique to you; please do not share as it may cause issues with your ability to join the meeting. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Registration opens when the Planning Commission’s agenda is posted online.  

If you are watching the live stream of the Planning Commission hearing and would like to make either a public comment (Item 4) for items not on the day’s agenda or to comment on a specific agenda item as it is being heard, please raise your hand in Zoom (by pressing the Raise Hand button or *9 on your telephone key pad) when the Recording Secretary asks for any online participants who would like to comment, please refer to the instruction for public comments at https://vcrma.org/planning-commission. To maintain a public meeting environment conducive and welcoming to receiving public comments from all members of the public, the audience is discouraged from engaging in displays of support or opposition to staff reports or public comments, including clapping, booing, hissing, or cheering, that may create a disruptive or intimidating environment for members of the public wishing to participate. 
 
 
The PLANNING COMMISSION hearing will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. in the Hearing Room of the Board of Supervisors, County Government Center, Hall of Administration, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, California.
AGENDA
1.

8:30 A.M. HEARING CALL TO ORDER

2.

ROLL CALL

Commission: Scott Boydstun, Planning CommissionerCharles Sandlin, Planning CommissionerEarl McPhail, Planning CommissionerMaggie Kestly, Planning CommissionerVeronica Garcia, Chair

3.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

4.

PUBLIC COMMENTS - Time set aside for comments by citizens on matters not appearing on the Agenda (Time limit per item - five minutes)

5.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES  

February 15, 2024 Minutes

RECOMMEND ACTION
Approve as presented.

6.

PROJECTS

A.

CASE NUMBER: PL24-0019  APPLICANT: County of Ventura

The proposed project consists of a County-initiated proposed ordinance amending Articles 2, 5, 7, and 19 of the Ventura County Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance to (1) codify a Planning Director Use Equivalency Determination that finds battery energy storage as equivalent to the “energy production from renewable resource” use category (Exhibit 5) and clarifies that battery energy storage is allowed in Industrial M1,  M2, and M3 zones with a Planned Development Permit; and (2) establishes a limitation of up to 100 acres for battery energy storage facilities located in the Agricultural Exclusive (“AE”), Open Space (“OS”), and Rural Agriculture (“RA”) zones. 

PROJECT LOCATION: All non-coastal unincorporated areas of Ventura County.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) DOCUMENT: This proposed ordinance is exempt from CEQA review pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines as follows: (1) the project is exempt under Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the proposed ordinance may cause a significant effect on the environment; and (2) the project is categorically exempt under Section 15308 (Class 8, Actions By Regulatory Agencies For Protection Of The Environment) as a regulatory action to assure the maintenance and protection of the environment, and no unusual circumstances or other exceptions to the exemption apply.
CASE PLANNER: Donald Nielsen

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Approve staff recommendation.

7.

DISCUSSION:

a)

Report by the Planning Director on Board actions and other matters.

b)

Items the Planning Commission may wish to introduce.

8.

MEETING ADJOURNMENT

 
 
 
David Ward, AICP, Director
Ventura County Planning Commission
 
Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the Planning Commission after distribution of the agenda packet are available on the Planning Division website at https://vcrma.org/planning-commission subject to staff's ability to post the documents prior to the hearing.
Persons who require accommodation for any audio, visual or other disability in order to review an agenda, or to participate in a hearing of the Planning Commission per the American Disabilities Act (ADA), may obtain assistance by requesting such accommodation in writing addressed to the Clerk of the Planning Commission, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009-1740 or by calling (805) 654-2478. Any such request for accommodation should be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled hearing for which assistance is requested.
If you challenge the action taken on the items in this agenda in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice or in written correspondence delivered to the Ventura County Planning Division at, or prior to, the public hearing.
 
SPECIAL NOTICE:
The Planning Division offers an E-mail Public Hearing Notification Service that allows interested stakeholders, applicants, and citizens to receive e-mail notification when a new Planning Commission Hearing is posted. You may subscribe to this service by going to the Planning Division website at https://vcrma.org/planning-commission and then click on Subscribe to our email notification service for these hearings