Sard
New Member
Ive built a lot of 'structures' and am familiar with setbacks in my area..county docs list it...its on the Plat map...depends on the building (Ag Use is different that home or garage or shop).... but then I ran across this in the CA state codes:
California Residential Code, Title 24, Part 2.5 with July 2024 supplement.
This same text appears in other areas of California building, planning and land use codes. (Google just the text and see)
I have a 30ft setback on the side of this property, would want to put a ground mount right at 10 feet (would allow me to keep a brush free area). The height at 10ft is 18 inches...the other side of the array is about 8 ft.
County claims a bunch of things. First, have 'we no idea what you mean"...then "oh, thats a fire safe reg, not a building setback rule'..then 'oh we dont follow the state'...then 'oh, we actually exempted ourselves from that' (there is no evidence, filing, ordinance, action in which they did so.) Counties and municipalities CAN opt out of state codes but must explicily state they are doing so and justify it. And file it with the state.
But what do I know, IANAL.
I have found some locales in CA that actually have adopted and parrot this language, Mammoth Lakes:
Setback requirements do not apply to ground-mounted, free standing photovoltaic arrays. A clear
brush area of 10’ is required for ground mounted photovoltaic arrays.
Either I am looking at this wrong or there is a rule in the State code that a ton of people have missed.
Thanks for any insights....
S
edit: Been a lurker for quite some time....
California Residential Code, Title 24, Part 2.5 with July 2024 supplement.
"R324.7.2 Ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays.
Ground mounted photovoltaic arrays shall comply with this section and the California Electrical Code. Setback requirements shall not apply to ground-mounted, free-standing photovoltaic arrays. A clear, brush-free area of 10 feet (3048 mm) shall be required for ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays."This same text appears in other areas of California building, planning and land use codes. (Google just the text and see)
I have a 30ft setback on the side of this property, would want to put a ground mount right at 10 feet (would allow me to keep a brush free area). The height at 10ft is 18 inches...the other side of the array is about 8 ft.
County claims a bunch of things. First, have 'we no idea what you mean"...then "oh, thats a fire safe reg, not a building setback rule'..then 'oh we dont follow the state'...then 'oh, we actually exempted ourselves from that' (there is no evidence, filing, ordinance, action in which they did so.) Counties and municipalities CAN opt out of state codes but must explicily state they are doing so and justify it. And file it with the state.
But what do I know, IANAL.
I have found some locales in CA that actually have adopted and parrot this language, Mammoth Lakes:
Setback requirements do not apply to ground-mounted, free standing photovoltaic arrays. A clear
brush area of 10’ is required for ground mounted photovoltaic arrays.
Either I am looking at this wrong or there is a rule in the State code that a ton of people have missed.
Thanks for any insights....
S
edit: Been a lurker for quite some time....