Section 923.05
Dimensional standards
Uses
Conditional / special use1
Extracted standards
14 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Floodplain
- Prohibition in flood hazard overlayOverlay districtA second set of rules laid over the base district, adding requirements without replacing it.
Utility-scale solar generation facilities shall not be located in the flood hazard overlay district as provided in section 714.
Height
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of ground-mounted panels20 ft
Ground-mounted solar energy generation facilities may not exceed a height of twenty (20) feet, which shall be measured from the highest natural grade below each solar panel.
Lighting
- Dark sky-compliant lighting
Lighting must be limited to the minimum reasonably necessary for security purposes and shall be designed to minimize off-site effects. Lighting on the site shall be dark sky-compliant.
Other
- Distance from airport1 mile
Utility scale solar energy facilities may not be located within one (1) mile of an airport unless the applicant submits, as part of its application, written certification from the Federal Aviation Administration that the location of the facility poses no hazard for, and will not interfere with, airport operations.
- Anti-glare technology and anti-reflective coatings
The facility shall use only panels that employ anti-glare technology, anti-reflective coatings, and other available mitigation techniques.
- Buffer plant heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. at planting3 ft
This buffer should be made up of plant materials at least three (3) feet tall at the time of planting and that are reasonably expected to grow to a minimum height of eight (8) feet within three (3) years.
- Distance from other utility-scale solar facilities1 mile
A utility-scale solar facility shall not be located within one (1) mile of any other existing utility-scale solar facility.
- Emergency services coordination
Applicants for new utility-scale solar generation facilities shall coordinate with the county's emergency services staff to provide materials, education and/or training to the departments serving the property with emergency services in how to safely respond to on-site emergencies.
- Maximum lot coverageLot coverageThe share of a lot that buildings may cover, as a percentage. under panel50 acresacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.
Utility-scale solar facilities shall not exceed a maximum lot coverage of 50 acres under panel.
- Pollinator-friendly seeding
The project area must be seeded with appropriate pollinator-friendly native plants, shrubs, trees, grasses, forbs, and wildflowers.
- Revenue share per megawatt1,400 dollars per MW
The county hereby assesses a revenue share of $1,400 per megawatt, as measured in alternating current (AC) generation capacity of the nameplate capacity of the facility.
- Security fencing heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.6 ft
The project area must be enclosed by security fencing not less than six (6) feet in height and equipped with appropriate anticlimbing device such as strands of barbed wire on top of the fence.
- Vegetative buffer width40 ft
A vegetative buffer sufficient to mitigate the visual impact of the facility is required. The buffer must consist of a landscaping strip at least forty (40) feet wide.
Setback
- SetbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from property lines150 ft
The project area must be set back a distance of at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from all property lines.
From the ordinance
Utility-scale solar facilities shall not exceed a maximum lot coverage of 50 acres under panel. ... The project area must be set back a distance of at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from all property lines.