Photovoltaic Solar Facilities and Processing
List of Solar Projects with Status(PDF, 261KB)
Fresno County processes Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Facilities through the Unclassified Conditional Use Permit process based on Section 853.B.14 (see attached) of our Zoning Ordinance. The cost of an Unclassified Conditional Use Permit Application (UCUP) is $15,973.88 excluding the costs of special studies or the cancellation process of land subject to a Williamson Act Contract. A UCUP is a discretionary land use application brought before the County Planning Commission at a public hearing and is appealable to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. The estimated processing time for a PV solar project is between six to eight months (from UCUP submittal to hearing date), but that time may be shortened or lengthened depending on agency review comments, special studies, or site-specific issues.
Once a project site has been selected, the following steps apply
- Contact our Zoning Unit at (559) 600-4540 to initiate a Pre-Application Review; the cost of a Pre-Application is $254.41, but the Pre-Application Fee will be applied to the Filing Fee if submitted within six months of the date on the Pre-Application form.
- In about one to two weeks of filing the Pre-Application Review you will receive a project packet from your assigned project planner; the packet will include necessary information on filing, etc.; should you have questions, please contact your project planner.
- If your project site is under Williamson Act Contract, also make contact with our Policy Planning Unit at (559) 600-4022 as to the process for initiating a cancellation; this process will run concurrently with the UCUP process.
The Specific break-down on fees for a UCUP
Pre-Application Review: This is a single blue sheet that will be completed after you contact our Zoning Unit at (559) 600-4540. Please return this application to our office. The information provided on this sheet will be needed to complete the application. (Note: The Pre-Application Fee of $247.00 will be applied to the Filing Fee if submitted within six months of the date on the Pre-Application form. The following Filing Fee information assumes that the application will be filed within the six-month time period.)
Filing Fees:
- Conditional Use Permit Application (CUP) $ 9,678.59
- Initial Study Application (IS) $ 5,464.70
- Public Health Environmental Review $ 992.00
- Ag Department Review $93.00
- Minus the $254.41 Pre-Application Credit -$254.41
- Check payable to "Fresno County" for: $ 15,973.88
Also, a separate fee may be collected by the County on behalf of the California Department of Fish and Game prior to closure of the Initial Study Assessment and prior to setting a date for public hearing. For more information regarding this fee, see Page 5 of the Initial Study application.
Please note fees are subject to change on an annual basis. Please consult the Master Schedule of Fees.
PV Projects will need to submit additional information per the Board-adopted Solar Electrical Generation Facility Supplemental Information.
Based on comments received by reviewing agencies related to other solar projects in-process, it is advised that the submitted operational statement detail the construction profile including estimated traffic, equipment used, length of construction, etc.
Resources
Solar Facility Guidelines
Guidelines for Preparing a Solar Electrical Generation Facility Reclamation Plan
Conditional Use Permit Process
Current Solar Projects Information(PDF, 261KB)
Initial Study Application(PDF, 61KB)
Right to Farm Notice
Board of Supervisors Report - December 12, 2017(PDF, 7MB)
Zoning Ordinance Section 853.B.14(PDF, 38KB)
Contact Information
Current Planning and Environmental Analysis (559) 600-4497
Our offices are located in Annex "A" and "B" of the Fresno County Plaza on the southwest corner of Tulare and "M" Streets.
Office hours (available by phone): Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.