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Spalding County discusses zoning text amendment to clarify residential solar rules
Summary
County planning staff presented proposed additions to the zoning code defining residential solar systems and where they are permitted; commissioners debated size limits, placement (rear vs. side yard), minimum-lot requirements and variance routes before agreeing to advance the item with amendments for second reading.
Spalding County planning staff presented a proposed text amendment to Appendix 4 (Zoning) adding definitions and location standards for solar energy systems, and commissioners discussed lot-size thresholds, rooftop versus ground-mounted systems, and where ground-mounted arrays should be placed.
The amendment would add definitions for rooftop and ground-mounted “residential yard scale” systems, identify zoning districts where rooftop arrays are allowed as-of-right, and set limits and exceptions for ground-mounted arrays. Staff said earlier citizen comments prompted removal of several draft provisions (including a 1-acre minimum for rooftop systems and a ban on double-deck racking), while retaining a staff-recommended cap of 20 panels or 500 square feet for accessory rooftop systems unless a variance is approved.
Why it matters: Commissioners framed the change as balancing homeowners’ ability to install small residential systems with neighbors’ expectations about visual impacts and setbacks. The board emphasized avoiding rules that would effectively block modest ground-mounted panels in typical subdivision lots, while also preserving view corridors and front-yard appearances in subdivisions such as Sun City.
Key points and debate - Staff said rooftop systems no longer include a minimum-acreage requirement; that 1-acre threshold was removed after public comment. Ground-mounted accessory systems remained treated differently in draft language, with some districts listing minimum lot-area thresholds (for example a 2-acre requirement shown in AR-1 in the working draft). A variance pathway would remain for larger or atypical installations. - Commissioners raised repeated concerns about side-yard placement and suggested limiting ground-mounted accessory systems to rear yards on smaller lots. One commissioner proposed removing “side yard” allowances and keeping ground-mounted systems to rear yards regardless of lot size, and then removing the acreage minimum so rear-yard installations would be permitted even on small lots. Staff and commissioners discussed tiered allowances (for example, different placement rules for parcels under 1 acre, 1–5 acres, and larger properties) so that large rural lots would retain placement flexibility while denser subdivisions would be constrained to rear yards. - Commissioners and staff discussed minor equipment (solar lights, small umbrella-mounted panels, low-wattage device chargers) and agreed such small items are not the draft’s target; the ordinance aims at arrays sized to serve a house (estimated by staff under Georgia Power tariff norms to be typically 4–10 kW for residential installations). - Staff confirmed that larger community or commercial-scale solar (small farm, mid-size, large-scale/solar farm) would require special exceptions or separate approvals and are not permitted by right as residential accessory systems.
Next steps and process Staff said the draft has been under review since last September and that the board could approve a version at this work session subject to a second reading incorporating the amendments the commissioners discussed (for example, striking side-yard placement for ground-mounted systems on lots under a threshold, and clarifying variance/special-exception processes). Commissioners agreed to move the amendment forward with edits and return for final action at second reading.
No formal vote was taken at the work session; the item will return to the board for formal adoption procedures.
