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Council rezones 14.41 acres to allow solar array by use-by-special-review
Summary
The council unanimously rezoned 14.41 acres from holding agriculture to residential estate to enable a proposed solar array (to be reviewed as a Use by Special Review). Planning staff and the applicant said screening and site features will be evaluated in the upcoming USR review.
Greeley City Council on May 20 unanimously approved an ordinance rezoning 14.41 acres north of County Road 56 and east of 90 Fifth Avenue from holding agriculture (H-A) to residential estate (RE) to allow a proposed solar array project, which will be reviewed next as a Use by Special Review (USR).
Planning staff said the RE zoning is the least intensive residential district compatible with the comprehensive plan and allows solar farms by USR; staff recommended approval after Planning Commission’s recommendation. “Approval criteria for the rezoning have been met,” staff member Don Threewood told council, and the Planning Commission recommended approval 7-0 on March 25.
The applicant’s engineer, Troy Strecker, said topography and adjacent utility infrastructure — including an electrical substation and a nearby midstream processing facility — will provide screening for much of the array footprint and that the USR will address detailed buffering. “We have looked at it. So there's a hill up on the north. We've got the substation. That's gonna screen part of the solar array,” Strecker said.
Council member Debuti moved adoption and Council member Butler seconded; the council voted 7-0 to adopt the ordinance. Staff noted that a minor subdivision (single lot subdivision) and the USR are the next administrative and planning steps following the rezoning.
Discussion vs. decision: the council approved the zoning change only; the USR will permit conditions such as setbacks or screening where appropriate and will be considered by planning staff and commission as part of the next steps.
