Westfield council tables ordinance on street-facing solar panels after public hearing

The Westfield Town Council on the evening of the regular meeting held a public hearing on General Ordinance 2025-03, which would amend the town land-use code in part to change rules governing street-facing solar panels, then voted to table the ordinance and send it back to the code committee for additional review.

At the public hearing, Evan Topolow, a Westfield builder and home remodeler, said he supports solar in principle but opposed placing panels on front-facing roofs because he believes such installations “degrade the look and feel of homes in our town.” Topolow said the change could raise design and aesthetic issues for some properties and urged the council to consult local builders about practical impacts.

Mayor Shelley Grindle clarified during the meeting that front-facing solar panels are allowed under the current code and that the ordinance before the council was intended to loosen some compliance restrictions; she said the council planned additional review. Councilman Contract moved to table the ordinance and send it back to the code committee; the motion was seconded and carried by roll call vote.

The council did not adopt the ordinance at this meeting. No final text changes or amendments were recorded in the hearing; the council instructed the code committee to reexamine the proposal and return with recommended revisions before further action.

Why it matters: The ordinance would affect where homeowners may locate solar panels visible from the street. Council review will determine whether to ease restrictions, keep them as written, or modify standards after additional stakeholder input.

What’s next: The ordinance was sent back to the code committee for further review; no timeline for return to the full council was specified at the hearing.