Residents' noise complaints prompt Clinton County staff to consider ordinance change for solar inverters

Liz Stitzel reported no unsafe-structure issues but relayed a pre-holiday complaint from a resident about trees with exposed root balls and a separate noise complaint tied to nearby solar inverters. Stitzel said she contacted the landscaping contractor and Indianapolis Power and Light (AES) and received confirmation that braces and uprighting had been performed where warranty applied.

A commissioner raised the prospect of adding additional rows of trees as sound barriers; Stitzel said enforcement is limited because multiple-row planting was not required in the original development approvals and that vegetation will need time to mature. She said the original approval required visual screening but did not anticipate inverter noise and that "at the time that this went through, there was not, a noise consideration discussed." She added the county is planning ordinance language to require inverters be placed "5 or 6 rows inside" in future developments where appropriate.

One resident and other commissioners described earlier attempts to address noise with temporary plastic sound barriers and additional tree plantings; the planner said some sound barriers were installed but did not fully resolve the issue and that supervisory turnover at the developer had complicated follow-up. Stitzel said she will re-inspect the sites, follow up with the landscaping warranty provider and ask commissioners to use their industry contacts to press for stronger corrective action.

Next steps: staff will inspect the properties in spring to assess tree health, will follow up with the landscaping contractor and AES about sound issues, and will bring proposed ordinance changes on inverter placement and buffering to commissioners in a future meeting.