A change to change Placer County’s zoning ordinance will allow more flexibility for temporary, emergency homeless shelter stays.

The change was approved by a 4-1 vote by the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 10, with Supervisor Jim Holmes dissenting.

Supervisors want to move the current temporary shelter at the Placer County Government Center campus to a more suitable location as soon as possible.

Now shelters will be allowed in industrial, industrial park and heavy commercial areas. Shelters were already allowed in several types of commercial and multi-family residential areas. The change also adds new development standards for shelters, as well as concrete plans for neighborhood relations and security.

The goal is to have shelters as close as possible to social services, job service programs and grocery stores or close to transportation between the facility and services.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report