Cumberland council tables proposed limits on residential ground‑mounted solar after extensive public hearing

The Cumberland Town Council on Feb. 10 voted to table proposed amendments to Chapter 232 (solar energy systems) of the Cumberland Code of Ordinances after a lengthy public hearing that produced sharply divided views on height limits, setbacks and how to define “commercial” vs. “residential” solar.

The ordinance committee had drafted a sliding‑scale approach to setbacks and a 24‑foot maximum height for ground‑mounted systems. Under the draft, a system up to 10 feet tall would require a 15‑foot setback; 11–19 feet would require a 30‑foot setback; and systems 20–24 feet tall would require a 45‑foot setback. The draft also said rooftop solar may be as tall as the host building and would prohibit commercial solar as defined in the draft, limiting installations to systems devoted primarily to on‑site use.

The changes were introduced by the ordinance committee as a response to neighborhood complaints about a recently installed array. Ordinance Committee chair (name not provided in the record) told the council the committee sought a workable balance: “a sliding scale, if you will, further away from the property line, the more height you would have,” and described the draft as a working document open to revision.

Public testimony split the room. Ryan Keith, a…