Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solar Energy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montgomery staff presents first solar energy collection standards; councilors ask for more review of residential rules
Summary
City staff introduced the first draft ordinance creating standards for large-scale solar farms and small-scale rooftop systems; the measure directs most permitting to the Board of Adjustment and prompted councilmembers to request committee review of residential installations.
The city presented its first draft ordinance establishing solar energy collection facility standards, and councilors asked for more discussion of the residential permitting process.
The proposal, presented by Mister Smith, staff member, would create distinct standards for large-scale solar collection facilities (solar farms) and small-scale rooftop arrays, and add the rules into the city code referenced as Section 8, Appendix 6. "You have before you the city's very first solar energy collection facilities standards ordinance," Smith said.
The measure matters because it would be the city's first formal set of rules regulating siting, setbacks and review procedures for both utility-scale solar farms and rooftop systems; Smith said the draft brings Montgomery "in line with national standards" used elsewhere in the U.S.
Key details: Smith described two categories: large-scale solar farms, like the previously reviewed Haynesville Solar off U.S. 80 and a Silicon Ranch site off Hyundai Boulevard, and small-scale rooftop arrays on homes or businesses. He said special exceptions and any zoning variances are handled through the Board of Adjustment: "An applicant has to actually apply, and that particular application is sent to the Board of Adjustment for consideration," Smith said.
Councilmember Miss Beard pressed whether rooftop systems already in place had been permitted. "They would not — I'm not aware of any solar panels anywhere in the city of Montgomery that's on anybody's house at this point," Smith replied; later he acknowledged there may be installations that were approved elsewhere or "operating illegally," and said staff would look into specific addresses.
Several councilors said they expect residential applications to increase if the ordinance and related incentives make rooftop solar more common. Councilmember (unnamed in transcript) asked to refer the residential provisions to a council committee for further discussion about application volume and how individual household requests would be processed. The draft ordinance itself does not change the Board of Adjustment's authority, Smith said, and he noted staff had been asked to clarify a cross-reference in Section 5 so the new article applied correctly.
What remains unresolved: The work session recorded council interest in more committee review of the residential permitting approach and in additional clarification of code cross-references, but no formal vote or adoption took place. Smith said the draft follows widely used national templates. Councilors also raised follow-up items — staff agreed to check whether any rooftop systems already exist in the city and to provide more detail on how frequently the Board of Adjustment reviews solar applications.
The council will consider the ordinance in a future meeting after committee review and any technical corrections requested by staff and council members.
