Story and Photo by Susan Meeker
COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Elizabeth Yerxa, of Colusa, has taken the helm of the Colusa County Planning Commission through 2024.
Yerxa, who represents District 5, was selected to serve as chair by a unanimous vote of the commission on March 6, replacing John Troughton, who will move to a side seat on the dais with Commissioners David McCullough, Kirk Pendleton, and Heath Krug.
Yerxa was appointed to the commission in February 2022 and served as vice-chair in 2023. She also serves on the Park, Tree, and Recreation Commission for the City of Colusa.
The Planning Commission is composed of five members, each representing an individual supervisorial district where they live.
The commission unanimously selected Krug, who represents District 2, to serve as vice-chair in 2024.
The Planning Commission’s duties include reviewing and recommending approval or denial of requests for general plan amendments, zoning amendments, development agreements, and other legislative matters. They also evaluate planned development proposals, major use permits, and subdivision maps.
The Commission, this year, will likely review and recommend revisions to the Colusa County General Plan, in light of their and the Board of Supervisors’ recent denial of the proposed Janus Solar Project west of Willliams.
Officials admitted the general plan has inconsistent language on whether commercial solar projects are allowed but claim the Janus project was inconsistent with the Agricultural Element and does not have language specific to battery storage.
“I know that with the Janus Solar Project, part of the reason that it did not go through, is that people are saying there is not anything in the General Plan that really addresses solar projects of this magnitude or Battery Energy Storage Systems,” Yerxa said.
While the project, which would have spread 197,000 solar panels across 800 acres south of Spring Valley Road, was controversial, Board of Supervisors Chair Gary Evans said at an appeal hearing in February that renewable energy coming to Colusa County was inevitable, either to diversify the economy or protect groundwater, both of which are needed.
County officials have confirmed that general plan changes will likely be needed that address commercial projects of that scale.
Planning Commissioner John Troughton reiterated that he was opposed to the Janus project because of possible devaluation of property in the vicinity.
Troughton said he would like the general plan to address projects that are detrimental to adjacent property.
“I thought about it a lot when we were doing this solar thing because it was so massive, and such – in my opinion – an intrusion in that particular area and what it would do to the value of the property surrounding it.”
Troughton said he would like to see general plan language that establishes the distance such projects can be from neighboring lands, similar to setbacks that jurisdictions have established for cannabis operations.
The county’s general plan was adopted in 2012. The housing element was updated in 2020.
Based upon this approval, county staff is expected to bring forward multiple zoning amendments in the next few years to complement programs in the updated housing element, officials said.