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Board recommends 11 rooftop solar panels at 53 Howard Avenue, cites reversible installation and limited historic impact
Summary
The Lancaster City Architectural Review Board recommended City Council approve installation of 11 low-profile rooftop solar panels on rear roof slopes at 53 Howard Avenue, finding the installation reversible and consistent with applicable preservation standards.
The Lancaster City Architectural Review Board voted to recommend that City Council approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the installation of 11 rooftop solar panels at 53 Howard Avenue.
Satchel Shoner, a sales representative at PowerStream Solar and Electric, said he was presenting on behalf of property owner Bob Hess and described the proposed installation: 11 low-profile panels mounted on the southeast rear slope of the house's main roof and on the northeast roof of a perpendicular rear wing visible from South Shippen Street. Shoner said no panels are proposed for the front roof slope.
Suzanne, the board's preservation reviewer, said the proposed installation could be appropriate because the panels would be reversible and would have limited impact on the building's overall historic character. She cited the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and referenced Standards 2, 9 and 10 in her review.
Shoner provided technical details: the installed mounts raise panels about 4 inches above the roof surface and the panel itself is just over 1.18 inches thick. He also showed a representative photograph of a recent project using the same panels.
A board member moved to recommend City Council approve the Certificate of Appropriateness "per the submitted proposal," noting conformance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards numbers 2, 9 and 10. The motion was seconded. The board voted by voice and the motion carried; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
Staff told the applicant the item will go to City Council next week and that the applicant need not attend; staff will send formal approval and the applicant can then pull required permits following council action.
