§ 15.26.060. Permit review and inspection requirements.

A.

The building and safety department will adopt and maintain an administrative review process to expedite approval of small residential rooftop solar energy systems.

B.

The building and safety department will issue a building permit or other ministerial permit the same day for over-the-counter applications or within one to three business days for electronic applications upon receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the approved city checklist and standard plan.

C.

If an application is deemed incomplete, a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information or documentation required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance will be sent to the applicant for resubmission.

D.

Review of the application will be limited to the building and safety department's review of whether the application meets local, state, and federal health and safety requirements.

E.

Any condition imposed on an application must be a feasible method to mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact. "A feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact" includes, but is not limited to, any cost-effective method, condition, or mitigation imposed by the city on another similarly situated application in a prior successful application for a permit. The city will use its best efforts to ensure that the selected method, condition, or mitigation meets does not significantly increase the cost of the system or decrease its efficiency or specified performance as defined in this chapter and in Civil Code Section 714.

F.

The city may not condition approval of an application on the approval of an association.

G.

Only one inspection may be required and performed by the building and safety department for small residential rooftop solar energy systems eligible for expedited review.

H.

The inspection will be done in a timely manner and should include consolidated inspections. An inspection will be scheduled within one to three business days of a request.

I.

If a small residential rooftop solar energy system fails the initial inspection, any subsequent inspection need not conform to the requirements of this chapter.

J.

The city may not deny an application for a permit to install a solar energy system unless it makes written findings based upon substantial evidence in the record that the proposed installation would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact. The findings must include the basis for the rejection of potential feasible alternatives of preventing the adverse impact.

K.

Any decision of the building official pursuant to subsections E. and J. may be appealed to the planning commission. Appeals from any decision of the building official must be made in writing and filed with the department of building and safety within twenty days from the date of the issuance of the building official's decision. The appeal must be made on the approved form available from the city and must include the date of appeal, the grounds for the appeal, and the appeal processing fee established by the city council. The appeal will be final with the planning commission.

(Ord. No. 700, § 3(Exh. A), 10-27-2015)