Roanoke County moves to add community- and utility-scale solar categories, requires special-use review

The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors on May 12 approved the first reading of zoning ordinance amendments that create separate uses and standards for community-scale solar energy systems (5 megawatts or less) and utility-scale solar energy systems (more than 5 megawatts), revise several residential development standards and add new requirements for solar projects.

Philip Thompson, the county’s director of planning, told the board the package amends three articles of the zoning ordinance to add new use definitions, add community- and utility-scale solar as uses (subject to special-use permit in many districts), and create standards for minimum lot size, setbacks, buffers, height, security, soil and vegetation management, visual impacts, decommissioning and required special-use permit submissions.

Thompson said the planning commission held a public hearing, made minor tweaks and recommended approval; he noted only one project has been approved so far. Supervisors discussed whether some industrial districts should allow solar by right, the potential for state legislation to preempt local land-use controls, and how battery storage might be handled in future amendments. Thompson said energy storage will be addressed in a future amendment and that state law could change how localities regulate additions such as battery storage.

The board approved first reading and scheduled a public hearing and second reading for May 26.

Why it matters: The amendments aim to give the county review tools and technical standards for larger solar projects while keeping accessory solar and rooftop installations regulated under existing accessory-use rules.