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La Plata staff says solar canopy at Washington and Hawthorne was approved in error; town to pursue administrative remedies
Summary
Planning staff told the Design Review Board the town approved a solar panel installation in a visible location in error and is working with the property owner on administrative remedies, including a potential variance and landscape screening; no formal corrective action was taken at the meeting.
A board member raised concerns Oct. 8 about a solar-panel canopy installed at the Washington Avenue and Hawthorne intersection that the planning department approved in error, and planning staff said the town is pursuing administrative remedies and may seek a variance and screening to reduce the visual impact.
The issue matters because the canopy is in a visually prominent, historic-area location and residents and board members said it conflicts with the town’s historic aesthetic. A board member told the Design Review Board she had contacted town staff and council members and said the back of the canopy “looks like the back of football bleachers” and is visible from the intersection.
Joel Dooley, the town’s planning director, acknowledged the approval was a human error and said the planning department had contacted the property owner. Dooley said the property owner had been “very receptive” and that the town would ask the property owner to sign and return a variance application so the town could process it administratively; Dooley said the town would waive associated fees because the error was the town’s. “We learn from them and we, we try to rectify them,” Dooley said.
Dooley said if the board of appeals determines a variance is not justified, the town would consult the town attorney and manager about other remedies but did not describe those steps in detail for legal reasons. He said potential conditions on a variance could include landscape screening to soften the appearance of the canopy’s supporting scaffolding. Dooley told the board the town had not pursued removal of the canopy and said, “I don't foresee… you would have it removed by any means. It's there.”
No formal action was taken by the Design Review Board at the meeting; the discussion was informational and Dooley asked for patience while staff pursues administrative remedies. Dooley said he planned to meet the property owner in the coming weeks to discuss mitigation options and that the town will attempt administrative processing before exploring other remedies.
Board members urged timely follow-up given the canopy’s visibility and its location near a historic district. Dooley asked for patience and said staff would return to the board or other bodies as required by the appeals or variance process.
