Design commission backs recommendation to remove blanket screening requirement for accessory solar panels

On March 19, 2026, the Downtown Design Commission voted to recommend approval of an ordinance amendment that would remove a blanket screening requirement for accessory solar energy systems and clarify code for property owners and developers.

T.O. Bowman of the Sustainability Office in the Planning Department presented the amendment, saying it was prepared "to provide clarity to our code and for developers and property owners" who intend to use solar energy systems as an accessory use. Bowman told commissioners the proposed change would eliminate an across-the-board requirement that solar panels be screened, a rule staff said can create uncertainty and can negatively affect solar performance by preventing configurations that need open sky exposure.

Bowman said parts of the ordinance affect properties citywide but stressed that Heritage Preservation (HP) guidelines for historic properties remain "standalone" and unchanged; HP review would continue to govern installations that could affect character-defining features. Bowman described the review path for the amendment: the commission's recommendation will go to the Urban Design Commission, then to the Planning Commission Development Regulations Committee, the full Planning Commission and, ultimately, City Council.

Commissioners asked whether contractors and practitioners had been consulted; Bowman said outreach has begun. A student attending as an observer, Melvin Lister, asked about whether solar is intended to replace other energy sources, how net metering works under OG&E territory and whether battery energy storage is part of the plan. Bowman explained that grid-connected systems can offset usage and described net metering constraints (right-sizing systems to capture value rather than oversizing). He said battery energy storage can add resilience and that forthcoming development-code updates will include definitions and guidance for battery systems.

A commissioner moved to recommend approval of the ordinance amendment to the Planning Commission; the motion was seconded and the commission approved the recommendation. Commissioners expressed support for the change, noting practical barriers that screening has created for solar installations. Staff said it will keep the commission updated as the amendment proceeds through the review process.

The transcript records the commission's recommendation but does not provide a roll-call vote tally in the meeting record.