This chapter applies to applications for expedited building permits for electric vehicle charging stations consistent with California Government Code section 65850.7.
(Ord. No. 915 § 1, 2017)
The following definitions shall apply for purposes of this chapter:
"Electric vehicle charging station" or "charging station"
means any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station that is designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electric Code, as it read on January 1, 2016, and delivers electricity from a source outside of an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle.
"Electronic submission"
means a submission of an application utilizing email, the Internet, and/or facsimile transmission.
"Specific, adverse impact"
means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified, and written public health or safety standards, policies, or conditions as they existed on the date an application was deemed complete.
(Ord. No. 915 § 1, 2017)
A. 
The building official shall adopt a checklist of all application requirements for expedited building permits for electric vehicle charging stations. The checklist shall substantially conform to the most current version of the "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist" found in the "Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook" published by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. The checklist, application form, and any other documents required by the building official shall be published on the city's website.
B. 
Anyone seeking to install an electric vehicle charging station at any site within the city shall apply to the building official for an expedited nondiscretionary building permit.
C. 
An application for an expedited building permit for an electric vehicle charging station, and all associated documentation, may be submitted to the building official in person, by mail, or by electronic submission. Electronic signatures may be used in lieu of wet signatures.
D. 
An application that, in the opinion of the building official, satisfies the information requirements of the checklist adopted by the city shall be deemed complete.
E. 
If an application for an expedited building permit is deemed incomplete, the building official shall provide a written correction notice of the deficiencies and the additional information required to complete the application.
F. 
If the building official determines that an application for an expedited building permit is complete, the building official shall review the application. If the building official determines that the proposed charging station meets all health and safety requirements of state and federal law, and would not have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, the application shall be approved and a building permit shall be issued.
G. 
If the building official finds, based on substantial evidence, that a proposed charging station could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, the city may require the applicant to apply for an electric vehicle charging station use permit in order to install the proposed charging station.
H. 
An application for an electric vehicle charging station use permit shall be reviewed by the building official. The building official shall not deny such an application without making written findings, based upon substantial evidence in the record, that the proposed charging station would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety which could not feasibly be satisfactorily mitigated or avoided. The written findings required for rejection of an electric vehicle charging station use permit application shall include the building official's basis for rejecting any potentially feasible alternatives that could mitigate or prevent the alleged adverse impact. Pursuant to Government Code section 65850.7, the building official's review shall be limited to health and safety issues. Aesthetic concerns, or other items not related to public health or safety may not be considered.
I. 
A decision of the building official made pursuant to subsection F, G, or H of this section may be appealed to the planning commission. The planning commission's review shall also be limited to health and safety issues.
J. 
Any condition imposed on an application for an expedited building permit or electric vehicle charging station use permit shall be designed to mitigate the specific, adverse impact upon health and safety at the lowest possible cost.
(Ord. No. 915 § 1, 2017)