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City advances two municipal solar canopy carport projects; board seeks renderings and will rule in February
Summary
City staff presented plans for solar canopy carports at the City Hall parking lot (Cedar Street) and the Department of Public Works (509 North 6th). The board pressed for visual renderings; staff said projects are time-sensitive because the city expects a tax credit refund through the IRA direct-pay program and aims to activate systems by the end of 2026.
City of Reading staff told the Zoning Hearing Board on Jan. 14, 2026 that the city is pursuing two municipal solar canopy carport projects: one covering municipal parking adjacent to City Hall (117, 125, 133 and 133R Cedar Street) and a second at the Department of Public Works site (509 North 6th Street).
Bethany Fischer, the city’s sustainability manager and project manager for the canopies, described the Cedar Street proposal as a canopy covering most of the municipal lot to produce electricity, protect vehicles from storm and hail damage, and reduce snow-handling operations. Contractors on the record included Matt Ward Decker from Schneider Electric and a solar contractor from Coral Reef. Fischer said maximum canopy height would be 20 feet and minimum clearance 14 feet so Public Works and fire vehicles can access the lot.
For the DPW site, Fischer described smaller but similar canopies intended to shelter and protect fleet vehicles including trash trucks, stake body trucks and bucket trucks. She said the projects are time-sensitive for contractual reasons and because the city expects a tax-refund payment under the direct-pay program authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act; the city aims to have the systems activated by the end of 2026 to secure the refund.
Board members asked for renderings showing the canopies’ appearance from public streets. A Coral Reef representative (identified in the transcript as Chris De.) and a contractor lead named Aaron said they would produce renderings for an upcoming workshop and work with staff to get images to the board in advance. The board closed both hearings and said written decisions will be mailed after the February meeting.
