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Commission begins review of proposed zoning changes for solar farms and data centers, schedules public hearing
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Summary
Township staff introduced draft ordinance amendments for solar farms and data centers, drawn from model ordinances; commissioners discussed permitted districts, height limits, stormwater and water/sewer documentation, and agreed to hold a public hearing at the next meeting.
Township staff presented draft zoning‑ordinance amendments April 14 intended to regulate utility‑scale solar farms and data centers. Staff said the draft combines model language from several places and raises questions about dimensional standards, permitted districts and required studies.
Staff noted the draft lists a 65‑foot building height in one example for data centers and asked whether commissioners wanted to retain existing zoning heights or add new dimensional standards. Commissioners discussed whether solar farms should be allowed in rural districts or limited to Business (B) districts, and staff described agrivoltaics — the co‑location of panels and agricultural uses — as one possible model. "A lot of this was their model ordinances all over," the staff presenter said of the draft.
Commissioners also raised concerns about utilities and water use for data centers, pointing to other regional cases where neighbors had limited input and where variances were granted. Staff proposed a public hearing on the draft; commissioners agreed to continue review and hold a public hearing at the May meeting to begin a formal public‑record review of the proposed ordinance changes.
The commission asked staff to send specific sections (notably water and sewer provisions) to the Sewage Authority for technical review and to circulate the draft to commissioners ahead of the next meeting.
