Coastal permit approved for ground-mounted solar and batteries near Elk; fire training tied to building permit

The Mendocino County Coastal Permit Administrator approved a coastal development permit Jan. 23 for George and Candice Scarlatos to install a ground-based solar array, a Tesla inverter and three Tesla Powerwalls at 12250 South Highway 1 near Elk, county planner Shelby Miller said.

Planner Shelby Miller told the administrator the project would place a ground-mounted array between the existing residence and a fence, trench roughly 150 feet along the fence line to the main service panel, backfill the trench, and use best management practices to prevent erosion and runoff. Miller said the project was referred to the Elk Community Services District, which requested on-site familiarization and training for the Elk Fire Department on the equipment’s operation and safety characteristics.

Miller said the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the project and "does not have any further comments" because the work would occur in already disturbed areas and would not remove vegetation. The planner also recommended standard conditions of approval and said the project meets the county general plan rangeland classification and the rangeland zoning district’s principally permitted uses. Miller said staff found the project eligible for categorical exemptions under CEQA Guidelines §§15301 (existing facilities) and 15304 (minor alterations to land).

A representative from 6 River Solar, Dan Johnson, clarified that the system will include three Powerwalls rather than two. "1 small note in addition to this, it's actually 3 Powerwalls total," he told the hearing. County staff said they would revise findings 1–5 to reflect three Powerwall units. The Elk Community Services District’s request for on-site training led the planner and the administrator to modify condition 9: the applicant must coordinate on-site training with the Elk Fire Department within 30 days of issuance of the building permit associated with the project so the equipment will be present for familiarization.

There was no public comment. The Coastal Permit Administrator approved the project with the revised findings and the modified condition requiring fire-department familiarization after issuance of the building permit. The administrator noted the same appeal timeline described for other coastal permits: 10 calendar days to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors followed by 10 business days to the California Coastal Commission (about 30 days total) before the county may formally issue building permits.