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Commission adopts zoning text to allow residential power generation with noise and safety limits
Summary
The commission approved a planning text amendment clarifying that residential power generation (roof-mounted solar, micro-hydro, diesel/fuel generators and similar installations) is permitted with a building permit and subject to noise and fire-safety conditions; commissioners added an explicit sentence that the rule applies to all zones.
Morgan County approved a planning text amendment on July 7 to clarify how residential power generation installations are treated across the county’s land-use tables. The change removes a previous ambiguity about whether small-scale generators and roof-mounted systems are permitted in certain zones and sets standards for noise and fire-safety oversight.
Planning staff recommended deleting “power generation” from land-use tables and adopting a definition that makes the installation of any type of power generation permissible with a building permit; the example list includes roof-mounted solar, micro-hydro and diesel/fuel generators. The planning commission recommended approval with stipulations including a decibel cap for fuel-based generators (70 dB measured at the nearest property line or 75 dB measured at 7 meters for a specific well house specification) and a limitation that diesel or fuel generators meet fire-code fuel-storage allowances and local fire-department approval.
Commissioners raised resident concerns about noise and medical-necessity exceptions. Tina Kelly of Mountain Green said many residents rely on generators for medical equipment during outages; staff and commissioners clarified the amendment was intended to allow such uses and not to be punitive. The commission approved the amendment and added a clarifying sentence specifying the definition “applies to all property in all zones.”
