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Ely City planning commission to draft ordinance options after winter complaints about outdoor wood boilers
Summary
Planning and Zoning discussed recurring smoke complaints from outdoor wood boilers and asked staff to draft several ordinance models addressing stack height, setbacks, EPA certification and zoning distinctions for review at a future meeting.
Ely City Planning and Zoning Commission discussed Jan. 21 the recurring problem of smoke from outdoor wood boilers and directed staff to prepare model ordinance language for the commission’s review.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Kochendorfer said the city currently has no specific ordinance language governing outdoor wood boilers. He told commissioners that the building code defers to manufacturer installation recommendations, which vary by brand, and that the city’s public nuisance ordinance addresses only public safety and health in general rather than device-specific standards.
Commission members focused on several technical elements they want the draft language to address: minimum chimney (stack) height to reduce down‑drift smoke, property setback distances that could vary by zoning district, whether units must carry an EPA certification for new installations, and explicit reliance on manufacturer specifications for installation. Commissioners noted that different rules for commercial and residential zones might be appropriate and that seasonal dates of use could be considered less restrictive than fixed bans.
Kochendorfer said he will prepare several ordinance models that incorporate combinations of these measures and present them at the next planning and zoning meeting for detailed discussion.
The discussion did not include a formal vote to adopt regulations; commissioners directed staff to draft options. The commission adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
