7.b 2 SolarOrdinanceAmendmentsCityCouncil 8.16.16
Memorandum
To: Scandia City Council Reference: Solar Ordinance Amendments
Copies To: Neil Soltis, Administrator
Brenda Eklund, Clerk
Project No.: 16023.000
From: Sherri Buss, RLA AICP,
Planner
Routing:
Date: July 25, 2016
The Planning Commission discussed potential amendments to the Solar Ordinance at its June, July,
and August meetings. The attached draft is the proposed amended ordinance based on those
discussions.
The proposed amendments to the ordinance include:
Minor revision to clarify when the use is permitted in the Agriculture Preserves District.
Removes the item that required a 600-foot setback from wildlife areas and the National Wild and
Scenic Riverway, and replaces this item with a new item in the Performance Standards [Section
(4) (C)] that requires mitigation to protect the values of these special management areas.
Adds requirement that the vertical sketch show the proposed project’s relationship to
surrounding topography and public roadways as well as to adjacent structures.
Eliminates the minimum parcel requirement. The setback requirements will govern the size of
parcel needed to accommodate a solar farm or community solar garden.
Establishes a minimum 75’ setback from all parcel boundaries, with options for wider setbacks if
warranted by impacts to adjacent properties.
Adds an option for the City to require a vegetative buffer up to 25’ in depth or screening up to
95% of the view of the array from adjacent parcels, and a requirement that the screening be
achieved within 2 growing seasons. (The Planner proposed the “growing seasons” terminology
rather than “years” to address potential issues related to approval dates.)
Adds a performance standard for use of wildlife-friendly fencing when fencing is included in the
project.
Public Hearing Comments and Commission Recommendations
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendments on August 2.
The Commission received three verbal comments on the draft. One speaker recommended that the
moratorium on solar farms and gardens should last for a full year. The second speaker stated that no
Solar Ordinance Amendment
Scandia City Council Page 2 August 16, 2016
more solar gardens and farms should be permitted because the use is not compatible with rural views.
The third speaker supported solar energy, and stated that the city should require that it be designed to
enhance the community, and that each application should be addressed individually.
The Commission reviewed the comments. The majority of Planning Commission members concluded
that the proposed ordinance amendment addresses the concerns that have been identified in recent
solar project reviews.
Request for Council Action
The Planning Commission recommended that the Council approve the proposed amendments to the
solar ordinance. The moratorium on applications for solar farms and community solar gardens will
expire on August 26.