ON THE AGENDA: Planning Commission, May 6, 2025
A barely there agenda--a study session on electric vehicle charging stations will take place
This week’s Planning Commission meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 6, at 5 pm. The only items on the agenda are voting to pass the consent calendar, the Development Director’s report, and a study session on electric vehicle charging stations. Study sessions are not live-streamed; the Desert Trumpet will be at the meeting and will report the study session to you.
The agenda for this session is available here.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
After Planning Commission announcements, residents can comment on items not on the agenda. Public comments on agenda items will be requested when the item is discussed. Fill out a green comment sheet for public or agenda item comments and hand it to the staff, usually sitting at the desk at the front of the room on the right side. Residents have three minutes to make your comments.
To comment during the hearing and the study session, come prepared to speak only once for three minutes on each, regardless of the number of topics covered.
You may also email comments to Planning Commission members and Keith Gardner, the Community Development Director, and request that comments be read at the meeting.
CONSENT CALENDAR
This meeting’s Consent Calendar consists of the minutes from the April 15 meeting and the ancillary use resolution to pass along to City Council.
STUDY SESSION
According to the staff report, the City has received several requests to develop Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging stations. There is no language in the Development Code regarding this type of business. The only similar business in the code are transportation facilities and gas stations.
Transportation facilities are permitted in residential, commercial and industrial zoning districts subject to a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The City code does not have a definition of a transportation facility, but San Bernardino County does:
Roads or bridges, and the appurtenant improvements necessary for the safe and efficient movement of vehicular traffic including but not limited to the following: signalization and other traffic controls; sidewalks; bikeways when they are within the ultimate right-of-way of a road or bridge. It also includes airports, bus terminals, bus stops, and train stations.
Gas stations are permitted in commercial and industrial zones subject to a CUP.
The question is, should EV charging stations be considered similar to a transportation facility and allowed in residential zones? Or are they more like a gas station, allowable in commercial and industrial zones only.
The Rivian charging station in Joshua Tree is owned by Joy44 LLC, based in Los Angeles, and is located on parcel zoned for retail store use. A reviewer noted how plush it is:
Consumers want more. Heck, I want more, and I don’t even own an EV. After all, this is a place where you’ll spend at least 20 minutes to shove some electrons into your vehicle. Is a bathroom too much to ask for? Rivian has heard the call and has answered with its own chain of outpost charging stations.
The station uses power from the local grid, and Rivian claims it matches kWH with energy derived from renewable sources.
EV charging can be found by the national park’s Twentynine Palms visitor center that are owned by the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District.
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The Chevron station in '29 seems like a good example. I do notice the restroom is often out of order.