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State Designates Sonoma County a ‘Prohousing Jurisdiction’
The state Department of Housing and Community Development today issued a “Prohousing Designation” to the County of Sonoma, opening up greater opportunities for local affordable housing projects. To be eligible for the designation, the county needed to confirm that it will not adopt laws or policies that inhibit or constrain housing production, such as restrictive zoning or development standards, and commit to affirmatively encouraging fair housing. Read full story
County suspends outdoor burning in all unincorporated areas of Sonoma County
Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division today announced a suspension of burning in outdoor areas of unincorporated Sonoma County. The ban aligns with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which suspended burning beginning July 3, and prohibits all outdoor burning in state responsibility areas. Read full story
Free county chipping program opens for 2023 season
The County of Sonoma has begun accepting applications for its seasonal Chipper Program, which provides free chipper services to residents seeking to make their property more wildfire safe. Provided through the Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division, this free service assists property owners in creating defensible space, which can be critical in preventing the spread of a wildfire to a home. Read full story
Board approves update to Sonoma County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved an update to the county’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which provides critical information to understand wildfire risks, identifies fuel-reduction areas and lists risk-reduction projects. Read full story
Board of Supervisors votes to change vacation rental regulations and rules for timeshares
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today voted to change vacation rental regulations, create caps and exclusion zones for vacation rentals and to define fractionally owned housing as timeshares. The first action involved creating a business license program that standardizes operating requirements for vacation rentals to protect neighbors from nuisances, while the second action placed caps and exclusion zones in specific neighborhoods in the first, fourth and fifth supervisorial districts to reduce over-concentration of vacation rentals in these areas. Read full story
Board of Supervisors to consider vacation rental regulation changes at April 24 meeting
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will consider two changes to vacation rental regulation at its April 24 special meeting. One proposal would create a business license program that would standardize operating requirements for vacation rentals to protect neighbors from nuisances, while the other will place caps and exclusion zones on certain neighborhoods to prevent over-saturation of vacation rentals in heavily impacted areas. Read full story
Board of Supervisors to consider new timeshare regulations to address short-term fractionally owned properties
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Monday will consider amending the zoning code to clarify regulations for timeshares and the transient use of fractionally owned residential properties. The amendments come in response to concerns from the public regarding the impacts of transient, or short-term, fractionally owned properties on housing supply, neighborhood character, noise, parking and traffic. Read full story
Board of Supervisors approves Well Ordinance update
The Board of Supervisors today voted to approve amendments to the county’s Well Ordinance, creating a new regulatory process for approving well permits. Read full story
Board of Supervisors authorizes acceptance of $6 million BRIC grant award and transfer of matching funds
The Board of Supervisors today accepted the award of a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant in the amount of $5,727,692 toward the first phase of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities or BRIC grant. Read full story
Board of Supervisors gives initial approval to Well Ordinance update
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave initial approval to amendments to the county’s Well Ordinance, which would create a new regulatory process for approving well permits. Read full story