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East Grand Forks Council reviews ISD 595 plan to rezone middle school for ground-mounted solar
Summary
City staff briefed the council on a request from ISD 595 to rezone middle school property from R1 to PUD to allow a ground-mounted solar array and to seek a special-use permit; the district received a $500,000 grant and would cover roughly $200,000 of the estimated $1.2–2 million project, with an anticipated payback under four years, staff said.
City staff on Tuesday told the East Grand Forks City Council they will refer a request from Independent School District (ISD) 595 to the Planning Commission to rezone the district’s middle school site from R1 (residential) to a Planned Unit Development so the district can install a ground-mounted solar energy array and pursue the accompanying special-use permit.
The rezoning is necessary because the city’s solar ordinance currently prohibits ground-mounted systems in residential zones, staff said. "We have a solar power ordinance that does not allow for ground-mounted systems in residential areas and in order for you to have one then you also have to have a special use permit," said Miss Ellis, the planning staff member who introduced the request.
Why it matters: staff said the array will sit behind the middle school, south of the tennis courts and adjacent to flood-control infrastructure; the placement means the project does not trigger the city’s 350-foot residential notification buffer. Superintendent Grover told council the district secured a $500,000 grant and expects additional federal and state incentives, leaving the district with about $200,000 of the anticipated $1.2–2 million total project cost. "We got the 500,000 grant," Grover said, adding that, conservatively, the district used a payback assumption of under four years.
Project details and compliance: staff flagged two ordinance elements for review — maximum height and setback requirements for ground-mounted systems — and reported the proposed array complies with those standards. Miss Ellis also described the usual special-use permit considerations (congestion, traffic, noise, dust and hours) and said the proposed location is unlikely to create glare or driver-visibility problems because it will be set to the rear of the property and shielded by a black chain-link fence.
Operations and contracting: the district will pursue interconnection agreements and power-sale arrangements; staff said Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) is expected to sell power produced by the array and the district will have separate contracts with MMPA and the city for connections and inspection. "MMPA will sell them the power directly," Miss Ellis said, adding that the city will perform electrical inspection and public-works oversight.
Council questions and next steps: councilors asked about snow accumulation and maintenance, equipment warranties (panels ~20 years, inverters ~10 years) and whether future road or residential development could conflict with the site. Staff said the site is bounded by flood-control infrastructure and land to the south and west is outside city limits, reducing the likelihood of near-term residential encroachment. The Planning Commission will review the rezoning application at its next meeting before the item returns to the full council for formal consideration.
The council did not vote in the work session; staff indicated the matter will return for formal action after Planning Commission review.
