Shasta County is poised to expand where electric vehicle charging stations can be built, with board materials for the Feb. 24 meeting showing a zoning amendment that would add a formal definition for EV charging stations, make them a permitted use in all zone districts subject to a specific-adverse-impact standard, and update parking rules for spaces with chargers.
The draft ordinance would amend Title 17 of the county code to add a definition for “electric vehicle charging station,” and it says such facilities would be allowed in all zone districts without discretionary review if they do not cause a specific adverse impact as defined in Shasta County Code Section 16.14.040. If that standard is not met, the ordinance says the facility could still be approved through a use permit under existing county procedures.
The same draft would also change the county’s off-street parking rules. It says parking spaces with EV charging equipment must meet the county’s minimum dimension and design standards and count as one parking space for parking calculations, with an exception that would require the county to reduce required parking for existing uses when charger equipment would interfere with required spaces.
A staff report tied to the proposal says the amendment responds to California Government Code Sections 65850.7 and 65850.71, which require streamlined EV charging station permitting. The report also says the Planning Commission recommended approval on Jan. 22, 2026, and that separate Title 16 building-code changes are expected as a companion item.
The staff report says the ordinance is exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) and categorically exempt under Sections 15301, 15303 and 15304. It also says no public comments had been received at the time of the report and that the work was budgeted in the current fiscal year.