Section 7-7-8
Dimensional standards
Extracted standards
9 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Design
- Lowest surface of panel above grade4 ft
The lowest surface of any panel shall be a maximum of 4 ft. above the finished grade on which the panel is located.
Other
- Buffer Type C for ground-mounted facilities >1 acreacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.
All ground-mounted facilities greater than 1 acre shall comply with Buffer Type C in Article 8, Community Design Standards, Tables VIII-2 and VIII-3, of this Ordinance.
- Decommission and Reclamation plan required
All applications for a medium-scale solar energy facility shall require a Decommission and Reclamation plan, as provided in 7-7-8 (N), below.
- Maximum generation5 MW
Maximum generation of 5 megawatts (5 MW).
- Minimum generation500 KW
Minimum generation of more than 500 kilowatts (KW).
- Roof-mounted heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. limit
If the medium-solar energy facility is roof-mounted or otherwise integrated into a principal or accessory building, the facility's height shall not exceed the maximum height limit of the district in which it is located.
- Land disturbance threshold for special exception2,500 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Any medium-scale solar facility that has 2,500 sq. ft. or more of land disturbance for ground mounted panels shall require a Special Exception.
- Wiring underground except for utility connection
All wiring not on the solar arrays shall be underground except where necessary to connect to the public utility.
Setback
- Comply with principal structure setbacksSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
Regardless of whether a medium-scale solar facility is accessory to another use on the lot, all medium-scale solar facilities shall comply with the district's principal structure setbacks.
From the ordinance
If the medium-scale solar energy facility is ground-mounted or not flush-mounted on a principal or accessory building, the facility's height shall not exceed 15 ft. at the tallest point.