Sonoma City Council recharges EV station process

Sonoma City Council roundly approves better ease for EV stations, a West Spain / West Napa subdivision and a contract for road repair.|

A popular documentary from 2006 famously asked, “Who killed the electric car?” Well, one thing’s for sure: it wasn’t the Sonoma City Council – which on Monday voted to clear the static from EV charging station permit applications.

At its July 17 meeting, the Council voted 4-0, with Councilmember Amy Harrington absent, to take steps toward establishing an ordinance to expedite the permitting process for the charging stations.

According to city staff, such an ordinance is required under Assembly Bill 1236, a 2015 state law which stipulates that cities with populations under 200,000 must enact a series of measures that help EV charge-station applicants clear hurdles in the permitting process.

Among the expeditious steps are requirements that the city provide a “submittal check list” for EV station applicants; that applications be approved through the issuance of a non-discretionary permit such as a building permit; and that denial of permits largely adhere to consideration of whether the EV station would have an “adverse impact upon the public health and safety.”

According to city staff, there are currently only about six electric vehicle charging stations in the city – three commercial stations located at hotels, and three private stations.

The City Council on Monday also approved 4-0 the proposed new mapping, or subdivision, of the 2-acre property at 590 W. Napa St. and 655 W. Spain St. into two parcels.

The purpose of the proposed subdivision, which was approved by the city Planning Commission last October, “is to allow the sale of the vacant portion to DeNova Homes for future apartment development, while allowing the Norrbom family to retain the remaining portion of the property with the existing residence.”

DeNova Homes would attain a 1.5 acre portion; the Norrbom family would remain on the other half acre. DeNova plans to build a 30-unit apartment complex on its 1.5 acre parcel.

In its third and final 4-0 decision of the meeting, the Council accepted a bid from American Asphalt Repair and Resurfacing for a total amount of $132,083 to resurface – or “slurry seal” – streets including Moll Court, Pearce Drive, Sherman Court and a segment of Sixth Street East.

Public works director Colleen Ferguson noted that American Asphalt’s bid was low enough so that the City could include “alternate” street segments in addition to those initially proposed.

She also stressed that the nature of slurry seals is to protect streets that remain in relatively good condition; thoroughfares in poor condition need better enhancements than what slurry sealing can provide.

Email Jason at jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.

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