Sec. 25-447 (Solar Energy Facilities)
Dimensional standards
Extracted standards
13 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Height
- Ground-mounted minor/utility max heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.20 ft
Ground-mounted minor and utility-scale solar energy facilities may not exceed a height of twenty (20) feet, which shall be measured from the highest natural grade below each solar panel.
- Roof-mounted max heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. above roof5 ft
Roof-mounted solar energy facilities shall not extend more than five (5) feet above the highest point of the roof nor exceed the maximum permitted height in each use district.
- Small-scale ground-mounted max heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.12 ft
Ground-mounted panels and equipment shall not exceed a height of twelve (12) feet.
Other
- Anti-glare technology required
Solar energy facilities shall use panels that employ anti-glare technology and anti-reflective coatings that meet or exceed industry standards, to reduce glint and glare.
- Building and zoning permit required
A building and zoning permit is required prior to the initiation of construction of each component of any solar energy facility.
- Maximum site clearing per phase100 acresacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.
Site clearing shall not exceed one hundred (100) acres for each phase of development.
- Minimum pollinator habitat percentage10 pct
At least ten (10) percent of the total acreage of the facility shall be cultivated in such a manner to encourage pollinator habitats in order to help maintain the rural, agricultural nature of the county.
- Compliance with national standards
Solar energy facilities shall comply with generally accepted national environmental protection and product safety standards for the use of solar panels and battery technologies...
- Power lines buried
Power and communication lines running between ground-mounted solar panels, connection points at buildings, and other related equipment shall be buried underground.
- 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.
- Utility-scale decommissioning time12 months
The owner or operator shall physically remove the system and restore the site no more than twelve (12) months after the date of discontinued operations.
- Vegetative buffer width150 ft
The buffer must consist of a landscaping strip at least one hundred fifty (150) feet wide, located within the required setbacks and shall run around the entire perimeter of the project area.
Setback
- Ground-mounted setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from rights-of-way and property lines150 ft
All ground-mounted minor and utility-scale solar energy facilities shall be set back at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from all abutting public rights-of-way and from adjacent property lines.
From the ordinance
A building and zoning permit is required prior to the initiation of construction of each component of any solar energy facility.