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Board grants special‑use permit for small solar array at 432 Vanderbilt Lane, with landscaping condition
Summary
The zoning board approved a special‑use permit for a ground‑mounted solar array at 432 Vanderbilt Lane to supply the residence’s electricity, imposing an 8‑foot vegetative buffer condition to screen the panels from view.
The Portsmouth Zoning Board voted to grant a special‑use permit for a small, ground‑mounted solar energy system at 432 Vanderbilt Lane, approving the system after the applicant and his attorney described it as a residential installation intended to provide the property’s electric needs.
Attorney Michael Mano, representing the applicant Amit Anand, said the array is designed "to provide 100% of the electricity needs for the residents" and is sized and located as a non‑commercial installation. The application included site plans, an electrical plan, soil erosion control details, and a letter from the Portsmouth Fire Department stating no objection. The applicant also submitted interconnection approval from the utility.
Representatives from Sunwatt Solar described the arrays as three aligned rows with a front elevation roughly 3 feet above grade and rear heights near 8 feet at a reduced 15‑degree tilt. The applicant told the board he intends to hire a landscape architect to design a three‑tiered planting plan to screen the array.
At the board’s request, the approval was conditioned on a continuous vegetative buffer surrounding the array: the motion specified a minimum planted vegetative buffer of no less than 8 feet in height around the array. The board recorded the motion, a second, and a unanimous voice vote of aye; the permit was approved with that landscaping condition.
Votes at a glance: Special‑use permit approved; condition requires 360‑degree vegetative buffer of at least 8 feet in height.
