Workshop set on draft solar rules

By DANIEL KITTREDGE
Posted 7/17/19

By DANIEL KITTREDGE New rules governing solar developments in the city are taking shape, and a joint workshop of the City Council and Planning Commission has been scheduled for July 18 to review what is being proposed. An announcement for the workshop -

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Workshop set on draft solar rules

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New rules governing solar developments in the city are taking shape, and a joint workshop of the City Council and Planning Commission has been scheduled for July 18 to review what is being proposed.

An announcement for the workshop – which begins at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers – indicates that Planning Department staff “will give a brief PowerPoint presentation to provide the context and rationale as to how this document was drafted” in keeping with a moratorium on large, commercial-scale solar projects enacted earlier this year.

Jason Pezzullo, the city’s director of planning, said staff updated its pre-draft of the solar ordinance proposal based on “a lot of guidance” received from members of the Planning Commission.

He said the proposal represents a “huge departure from what we’ve done in the past” in terms of solar regulations, and credited Senior Planner Joshua Berry for “pulling this draft together.”

“It’s a very restrictive draft … It’s got a lot of controls in there for protecting community character,” Pezzullo said. “We took that very seriously, that moratorium ordinance … we took a lot of time working on this and researching this.”

The moratorium, enacted in February, came following years of concerns from residents and officials regarding the proliferation of commercial solar projects in Western Cranston. It was put in place for nine months and expires this fall.

The draft proposal from planning includes a number of new features. It would divide solar installations among three categories, including a new “major accessory” designation.

“Minor accessory” solar systems are defined as those mounted on roofs or integrated into buildings, while “principal” solar systems are the commercial-scale installations that led to the moratorium.

The new “major accessory” category would allow for the placement of solar panels on a farm or other such property, Pezzullo said. It limits the solar component to 25 percent of a property’s area and includes other restrictions in terms of screening and tree disturbance.

“We might see more of that going forward for people who want to supplement their income … but it has to be an accessory use,” he said.

The draft ordinance would also require a special use permit for the installation of a commercial-scale solar energy system on properties zoned as A-80 residential or S-1 open space. Currently, “principal” solar installations are allowed by right in those zones.

The planning draft additionally includes increased setback, buffering and screening requirements, Pezzullo said.

“We tried to be pretty comprehensive with this ordinance … We feel good that we’ve done what was asked of us,” he said.

The new ordinance will require approval from the City Council, and the July 18 workshop is designed as a means of forging a consensus ahead of the measure’s formal submission.

Meanwhile, two solar-related ordinance amendments have already been introduced on the council’s docket.

Citywide Councilman Steve Stycos submitted both of the measures – which are cosponsored by Council President Michael Farina, Citywide Councilman Ken Hopkins and Ward 4 Councilman Edward Brady – as new business in June. Both have been referred to the council’s Ordinance Committee for consideration at an upcoming meeting.

The first measure would amend the city’s Comprehensive Plan, removing language that designates the placement of solar facilities as a form of “land banking” and adding new wording focused on the land acquisition, the purchase of development rights and the placement of conservation easements as the preferred means of preserving land in Western Cranston.

The second would amend the city’s zoning ordinance to remove commercial-scale solar facilities as an allowed use in the A-80 residential and S-1 open space zones.

Last week, Stycos said the measures introduced before the council are meant to provide a backstop in the event there is an unanticipated delay in the Planning Commission’s process, ensuring the city has a means to put new rules in place when the moratorium expires. The measures also provide an alternative in the event the planning proposal does not satisfy the concerns of council members, he said.

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