zoneoptics
Surry, Virginia · General provision

Sec. 4-608

SolarAll Surry districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETSTREETFront 300 ftRear 300 ftSide 300 ftStreet side 300 ftMAX HEIGHT18 ft
Plan view of the district’s stated lot requirements. Solid line: the property line. Dashed: the setback lines the ordinance imposes; a building must stay inside the tinted envelope. Drawn from the figures extracted below — illustrative, not a survey.

SetbacksSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.

FrontSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
300 ft
RearSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
300 ft
SideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
300 ft
Street sideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
300 ft

Height & bulk

Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.
18 ft

Uses

Conditional / special use1

Extracted standards

17 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.

Environmental

  • Groundwater monitoring

    Ground water monitoring to assess the level of groundwater contamination shall take place prior to, during, and upon construction of the project.

  • Protect floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes

    All floodplains, wetlands, and steep slopes shall be protected from clearing, grading, filling, or construction.

Fencing & walls

Historic

Landscaping & trees

  • Minimum vegetative buffer width300 ft

    The buffer shall consist of a landscaping strip at least 300 feet wide.

  • Preserve tree lines

    The layout shall be designed to preserve and maintain existing tree lines between fields or meadows, pastures, orchards, and mature woodlands.

Lighting

  • Dark sky compliant

    Lighting on the site shall be dark sky compliant.

Noise

  • Noise standard

    Noise requirements for solar energy projects shall be no more stringent than noise requirements for other types of development in the underlying zoning district.

Other

  • Annual inspection

    All active solar energy facilities shall be inspected by county staff on an annual basis.

  • Decommissioning time6 months

    The project shall be deconstructed and removed within six months after the project sites are permanently decommissioned.

  • SetbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. between fence and buffer25 ft

    A 25 foot setback shall be provided between perimeter security fencing and vegetative buffer for emergency access.

  • Maximum clearing per phase100 acresacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.

    Site clearing shall not exceed 100 acres for each phase of development.

  • Minimum distance from airport5,280 ft

    These facilities shall not be located within one mile of an airport unless the applicant submits... certification from the FAA.

  • Minimize development on open fields

    The layout shall be designed to minimize development on open fields and pastures.

  • Preserve views

    Existing views from public thoroughfares shall be preserved.

  • Removal of inoperative components6 months

    All inoperative components of the facility shall be removed from the project parcels within six months of inoperability.

Signage

  • Sign restrictions

    Warning signage shall be placed on solar equipment... no advertising except identification.

From the ordinance

The project area shall be set back at least 300 feet from all abutting public rights of way and main buildings on adjoining parcels and from adjacent property lines. Ground-mounted solar energy generation facilities shall not exceed a height of 18 feet.
Sec. 4-608