Bluff commissioners continue work on renewable energy ordinance; SolSmart assistance sought

Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Amanda Podmore and commissioners spent the June 26 work session discussing the town's draft renewable energy ordinance and next steps for technical review and outreach.

Commissioners said a June webinar produced by a national solar-support program and a resource called SolSmart highlighted model ordinance language and practical issues the commission should address, including whether to allow solar in all zones, how to treat ground-mounted systems, and where battery energy storage should be regulated.

The discussion matters because the town is drafting rules that will guide where and how commercial and residential solar and related equipment — including battery storage and large arrays — are sited. Commissioners emphasized that the ordinance should be permissive where feasible, while protecting safety, neighboring properties and operational concerns.

Marcia Hagenfeld, who reported attending both a permitting-and-inspection webinar and a planning-and-zoning webinar, said the presentations recommended allowing solar broadly and using conditions in specific locations rather than blanket bans. Commissioners noted the utility of using size and siting standards rather than electrical measurements (voltage) in local code, because installers typically provide design parameters rather than electrical-spec language for zoning review.

Commissioners and staff discussed several specific issues for the draft ordinance: whether battery energy storage systems (often shipped in containerized units for large arrays) should be treated as conditional uses; adding decommissioning and deposit requirements to ensure removal and site restoration; allowing modest setback flexibility for ground-mounted systems that must be angled for sun exposure; and keeping roof-mounted arrays regulated so they are not penalized as if they were new tall structures.

Commissioners also debated how much detail the ordinance should require directly and how much should be left to the building-permit process. The group agreed a practical approach is to state that applications must meet applicable federal and state requirements and accepted engineering standards, and to rely on the Town of Bluff building department to determine application completeness and to enforce building-permit standards.

Amanda Podmore gave Hagenfeld permission to contact SolSmart to clarify whether the program will provide ordinance-review support and, if so, whether that assistance is free or paid. Hagenfeld said she had emailed the organization (listed on the webinar as SolSmart) seeking details and would report back to the commission. Commissioners agreed they would also ask Kristen in the town building department what application materials the department expects from developers so the ordinance does not duplicate required submittal items.

No formal ordinance changes or votes were taken at the meeting. Commissioners planned to gather the answers from SolSmart and the building department and to continue drafting at the next scheduled meeting on July 3, 2025.

Ending: The commission left several drafting choices open pending technical clarification from SolSmart and from Bluff building staff; commissioners emphasized they intend the ordinance to be practical for homeowners and developers while addressing safety and decommissioning for larger projects.