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Resident presenter offers three‑version solar ordinance draft; board asks for more review and decommissioning detail
Summary
Robert Odet presented three draft versions of a proposed solar overlay ordinance intended to guide siting and help the town qualify for SolSmart recognition; the board praised the work, asked for time to review, and urged clearer decommissioning language and joint review with the energy and conservation commissions.
At the June 25 meeting the Swansea Planning Board heard a draft solar ordinance from resident presenter Robert Odet, who told the board he prepared three versions so the town could consider a tiered overlay approach and improve its standing for SolSmart recognition and grant applications.
Odet said the ordinance is designed to give the town guidance on where larger, commercial‑scale solar arrays should and should not be sited. "We're not opposed to solar, but we don't want a commercial development in a residential area," he said, framing the draft as a way to balance renewable deployment and neighborhood compatibility. He said the draft was prepared in consultation with local groups and Clean Energy New Hampshire and that the versions differ mainly in how the matrix of siting criteria is structured.
Board members praised the packet and asked for time to review the heavier draft. One member suggested the presenter provide citations and references supporting technical claims; Odet said he would supply them. Members also raised questions about decommissioning language and whether the ordinance should include a separate section to require decommissioning funds or schedules for larger arrays.
The presenter and board discussed coordinating review with the energy commission and looping in Sarah (staff) so the proposed overlay can slot into the town's reorganized zoning framework. No formal vote was taken. Board members asked Odet to return with any refinements after the planning board and energy commission complete their review.
What happens next: the planning board will review the drafts and coordinate with staff and the energy commission on recommended changes, including clearer decommissioning provisions, before returning the ordinance to a future meeting for further consideration.
