Planning chair warns data‑center overlay and accessory solar rules need clearer staff briefings

Sean Hyde, chair of the planning commission, summarized the commission’s recent work at the borough council meeting and said members remain concerned about outreach and staff presence when complex zoning changes reach the commission. “Essentially focused on things like solar panels and accessory tractors and subdivision evaluation,” Hyde said, adding the commission has had a quorum at every meeting since he became chair.

Hyde described repeated neighbor complaints about accessory or ground‑mounted solar arrays — “a neighbor who’s concerned that the solar panels will do things like make noise … or just they don’t like how they look” — and noted those installations often require conditional‑use review when mounted on accessory structures such as detached garages or sheds. Council members and staff discussed drafting ordinance text changes or recommendations that would clarify when planning commission review is required and whether certain minor solar installations can be handled administratively.

Commissioners also pressed staff about a proposed data‑center overlay district, asking why the overlay extends into R‑1 residential areas and how it differs from the borough’s oil‑and‑gas overlay. Several members said the planning commission should not act without a knowledgeable representative from the applicant or staff to explain the overlay’s purpose and geographic reach. One commissioner described tabling items as standard policy when the commission lacks information or a subject‑matter representative: without those materials, “we’re just looking at each other,” the commissioner said.

Councilors agreed to encourage closer coordination between staff, applicants and the planning commission so technical questions can be answered before formal votes. Staff said draft ordinance language and a planning‑commission recommendation on accessory structures and solar panels will appear on the commission’s May agenda for review.