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Council adopts six‑month moratorium on residential ground‑mounted solar permits
Summary
After neighbors raised concerns about large ground‑mounted solar arrays placed near homes, council approved a six‑month temporary moratorium to give the zoning board time to recommend new rules on siting, setbacks, glare, and tracking systems.
The council approved a temporary six‑month moratorium on new residential ground‑mounted solar permits to allow the city’s zoning board to study whether current regulations adequately address setbacks, visibility, and other impacts.
Staff showed photographs of a recently permitted through‑lot solar installation located between established homes; Nick McQuett said it met existing setbacks but raised neighborhood concern because panels were large and sited where a house could otherwise be built. “This array does meet code… it is actually 10 feet further setback than what code would require,” McQuett said, but noted neighbors across the street reported the panels were large and visible. Councilmembers debated a shorter moratorium, with staff saying zoning board consideration could take several weeks; the motion as written allowed the moratorium to expire earlier if the council or zoning board acted sooner. The motion passed 5‑1.
