Essex County Unincorporated

Solar energy, community means a facility that generates electricity from sunlight that was not constructed by an investor-owned utility and that will be part of an investor-owned utility's Community solar pilot program. A community solar energy facility does not exceed two megawatts (2 MW) alternating current

Solar energy, medium-scale means a facility that generates electricity from sunlight primarily to reduce onsite consumption of utility power for commercial and industrial applications. Sites are between one to three acres with maximum capacity of 999 kW.

Solar energy, multi-family shared means a facility that generates electricity from sunlight that was not constructed by an investor-owned utility and that will be part of an investor-owned utility's multi-family shared solar pilot program. A multi-family shared solar energy facility does not exceed three megawatts (3 MW) alternating current at any single location or that does not exceed five megawatts (5 MW) alternating current at contiguous locations

Solar energy, Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) means a facility that generates electricity from sunlight that was not constructed by an investor-owned utility and that will be part of an investor-owned utility's power purchase agreement solar pilot program. A facility has a capacity of no less than 50 kilowatts and no more than three megawatts (3 MW) alternating current

Solar energy, shared means a facility that generates electricity from sunlight that was not constructed by an investor-owned utility that will be part of an investor-owned utility's shared solar pilot program. A shared solar energy facility does not exceed five megawatts (5 MW) alternating current, serves at least three subscribers, has at least 40 percent of its capacity subscribed by customers with subscriptions of 25 kilowatts or less

Solar energy, small-scale means a facility that either: (a) generates less than 20 kilowatts (kW) electricity from sunlight... (c) meets at least one of the following criteria: has a disturbance zone equal to or less than one acre; is mounted on or over a building, parking lot, or other previously disturbed area; or utilizes integrated PV only.

Solar energy, utility-scale means a facility that generates electricity from sunlight which will be used to provide electricity to a utility provider. Sites are generally over two acres and have a capacity more than one megawatt (1 MW).

Store, specialty means a small-scale (less than 2,500 square feet per business) retail use which offers for sale items of art or crafts, or which offers for sale items related to a specific theme

Street, Private means a street affording a means of private access to two (2) or more abutting properties, having a right-of-way of not less than fifty (50) feet in width.

Street, Major means a through street or road that carries a large volume of through traffic, or anticipated traffic exceeding five hundred (500) vehicles per day.

Subdivision means the division of a parcel of land into two (2) or more lots or parcels of land for the purpose of transfer of ownership or building development... (a) Major Subdivision: The division of any tract or parcel of land into six (6) or more lots; (b) Minor Subdivision: The division of any tract or parcel of land into five (5) lots or less;

Story, half means a space under a sloping roof, which has the line of intersection of roof decking and wall face not more than three (3) feet above the top floor level, and in which space not more than two-thirds (2/3) of the floor area is finished off for use.

Store, adult means an establishment that: offers for sale or rent items from any of the following categories: (a) adult media, (b) sexually oriented goods, or (c) goods marketed or presented in a context to suggest their use for specified sexual activities; and the combination of such items constitutes more than 15 percent of its stock in trade or occupies more than 15 percent of its gross public floor area

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Overlay District. Exemptions from RMA require no RPA within 500 feet. Land disturbance exceeding 2,500 sq ft must comply with erosion control.

The Planning Commission shall advise the Board of Supervisors within 100 days from its first meeting following referral. ... All motions, resolutions, or petitions for amendment to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance and/or Zoning Map shall be acted upon and a decision made within such reasonable time as may be necessary which shall not exceed 12 months unless the applicant requests or consents to action beyond such period or unless the applicant withdraws his motion, resolution, or petition for amendment to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance or map, or both.

Whenever a petition requesting an amendment, supplement, or change has been denied by the Board of Supervisors, such petition, or one substantially similar, shall not be reconsidered sooner than 12 months after the previous denial.

Proffered conditions shall be subject to the following limitations: ... c. The conditions shall not include a cash contribution to the County; ... g. No condition shall be proffered that is not related to the physical development or physical operation of the property; and h. All such conditions shall be in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan.

Upon the approval of any such rezoning, all conditions proffered and accepted by the governing body shall be deemed a part thereof and non-severable therefrom and shall remain in force and effect until amended or varied by the Board of Supervisors. All such conditions shall be in addition to the regulations provided for in the zoning district to which the land is rezoned.

The Planning Commission shall advise the Board of Supervisors within 100 days. If after 100 days no recommendation has been made, the governing body shall assume that the Planning Commission concurs with the applicant and supports amending this Ordinance, and the Board of Supervisors shall thereafter take any action it deems appropriate, unless the applicant requests an extension and the Planning Commission votes to grant such an extension for a defined period not to exceed a total of 180 calendar days from the date of the public hearing.

No reapplication for a Conditional Use Permit for the same or substantially the same application shall be considered by the governing body within a period of six (6) months from its last consideration. ... Should the use approved by the Conditional Use Permit cease for any twenty-four-month period during the life of the permit, the Conditional Use Permit shall become void.