The Sustainable Energy Action Committee (SEAC), Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) put together a helpful guide for local officials on electric vehicle (EV) charging station planning and zoning. Planning and Zoning Guidance for Electric Vehicle Charger Deployment aims to make the deployment of EV charging points safe, fair, and easy for everyone involved, helping to further the clean energy movement.
With millions of commercial EV chargers on the horizon, EV charging station planning is crucial to advance successful projects. Unfortunately, EV charging station zoning requirements can create bottlenecks for projects, hindering clean transportation. Read on to learn about some of the key concepts of EV charging station planning in the guide.
EV Charging Station Planning for Design Standards
Local governments play a pivotal role in shaping EV readiness through the charging station permitting approval. The three key components are ensuring building and electrical code compliance, navigating the EV charging station planning and zoning requirements review, and a streamlined EV charging station approval process.
The two key bodies and applicable codes that govern electric vehicle charging station installations and inspections are:
Interviews with EV charging contractors and providers highlight that planning and meeting EV charging station zoning requirements often present the biggest challenges in securing local government permit approval for EV charger projects.
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EV Charging Station Zoning Requirements
The guide focuses on issues related to planning and EV charging zoning requirement issues due to their significant impact on approval processes. Here's a breakdown of key aspects:
EV Charging Station Planning Documents & Infrastructure
Challenges arise when municipal planning documents lack provisions for EV chargers, making the regulatory process unpredictable. Recommendations include addressing EV chargers in comprehensive plans, involving residents in the EV charging station planning processes, and collaborating with regional organizations and utility companies.
EV Charging Station Zoning Requirements and Use Designations
Challenges often arise in zoning codes as they may not properly categorize Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). Zoning officials might misclassify charging stations, treating them like traditional gas stations or determining that the property isn't zoned for hosting a charging station.
These misclassifications can lead to zoning reviews for charging projects, causing delays and increased project costs. Recommendations in the guide include adopting EV charging station zoning requirement language defining EVSE terms, classifying EV chargers as accessory uses (in most cases), and clearly stating rules for instances where EV chargers are a primary use.
Navigating Parking Requirements & Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
EV charging and parking requirements go hand in hand. Key issues include parking count mandates, electric car charger accessibility, and EV readiness.
Parking Count and Mandates
Issues arise when converting standard parking spaces to charging spaces is perceived as violating minimum parking requirements. EV charging station planning recommendations include allowing these spaces to count toward mandates, considering wheelchair-accessible charging spaces as two standard spaces, and updating municipal parking ordinances for clear enforcement.
Charging Station Accessibility
Concerns regarding the unclear characteristics and numbers of accessible EV charging spaces are addressed by placing accessible chargers on an accessible route to the entrance and deploying a scaled approach based on the total parking space count.
EV Charging Station Readiness
EV charger readiness involves preparing properties for future EV charger installation, typically during building construction. Many jurisdictions have adopted ordinances or building codes for new constructions, requiring a specific number of parking spaces to be EV Capable, EV Ready, or EVSE-installed.
EV Capable means the property is ready to be wired for EV charging infrastructure
EV Ready indicates completed charging station wiring
EVSE-installed means that the electric vehicle charging stations are installed.
Challenges to EVSE readiness include local opposition due to perceived added costs, site-specific readiness estimates, and determining suitable EV-capable, EV-ready, and EVSE-installed parking space ratios. Recommendations include enacting clear readiness requirements, providing information on compliance costs, and collaborating with utilities on grid capacity and programs.
EV Charging Station Planning for Design, Aesthetics, and EVSE Location
Guidance compliance for design requirements can be unclear, sometimes intertwining aesthetic considerations with health and safety. Guidance compliance for EV charging station zoning requirements can be complex, often blending aesthetic factors with health and safety standards. For example, unreasonable height limitations and screening requirements may hinder certain charging projects.
Challenges arise when signage concerns are grouped under general restrictions, complicating planning for EV charging station zoning requirements. Preferred locations for aesthetic considerations, required by local governments, may present additional challenges, such as increased project costs, permitting issues, and complicated construction timelines when EV charging infrastructure is sited at greater distances from power sources.
The report recommends that local governments avoid adding aesthetic requirements for surface parking with EV charging stations that exceed those without charging. Ideally, EV charging projects should not trigger additional aesthetic and design requirements unrelated to the charging equipment itself.
Local jurisdictions should provide clear, readily available guidelines on all design and aesthetic requirements for electric car chargers, including illustrations of acceptable and unacceptable designs. This information is especially crucial in sensitive zoning areas like historic districts. Added signage, lighting, and shelter for public charging areas can enhance safety, comfort, and convenience for EV charger users.
On-Street EV Chargers
Coordination among multiple local authorities is necessary for on-street charging. Issues such as ADA compliance, signage, charger aesthetics, and potential vandalism may cause concerns about chargers installed in the right-of-way. EV charging station zoning requirements often complicate parking by limiting EV-dedicated spaces in areas with high parking demand.
The guide recommends letting deployment goals and priority locations for equitable on-street charging demonstrate to EV charging companies that the given community is open to partnership and charging station investment.
The EV Charging Station Approval Process
The approval process for EV charging stations encompasses various aspects, including zoning, parking, and design issues, all of which must adhere to EV charging station zoning requirements. This includes a thorough code compliance review that addresses building, fire, and electrical codes and the application process itself.
EVSE Application Process
Challenges in some local governments include unclear or inconsistent EVSE application processes lacking guidance documents, checklists, and timelines. Issues such as the lack of dedicated EV charging application forms and wet signature requirements for forms pose barriers, especially since EV charging contractors are often not local to the project site. This inconsistency may hinder the swift and efficient approval of EV charging station projects.
EV Charger Application Review
The application review process frequently encounters challenges due to inconsistencies and a lack of transparency regarding EV charging station zoning requirements. Differing interpretations of codes and ordinances by government staff, along with sequential reviews across multiple departments, can lead to delays. New issues introduced after initial review comments, such as changes in parking counts, further complicate the approval of EV charging station projects.
Recommendations in the guide include administratively approving accessory use EV charger permit applications meeting all requirements, implementing concurrent reviews across appropriate departments, assigning a point person to guide EV charger applicants through the entire permitting process, and providing training on EV charging-specific codes and ordinances for consistent interpretation.
Advancing EV Charging Station Planning & Zoning Requirements
By following these actionable recommendations in the guide, municipalities can create a transparent, predictable, and equitable approval process for EV charging infrastructure, including clear EV charging station zoning requirements. This will benefit local governments and accelerate the widespread adoption of EVs, contributing to a cleaner and sustainable transportation future.
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