Planning board begins drafting rooftop-solar rules for Frenchtown

The Frenchtown Planning Board on Monday directed staff to draft a rooftop-solar ordinance focused on rooftop installations, height limits and glare mitigation. Chair (S2) said the board discovered a 2022 accessory-use line that allows roof-mounted solar but provides “no detail,” and members agreed a clearer set of standards is needed.

S1 (Staff member) told the board the 2022 language “buried under accessory uses” currently permits roof-mounted panels in all zones but does not specify allowed projection, finish or anti-glare standards. “Roof mounted solar panels shall be a permitted accessory use in all zones,” S1 said, adding that sample ordinances from Blairstown and Holland Township include architectural guidance and decommissioning language the board might borrow.

Members debated separate rules for sloped and flat roofs (flat roofs commonly allow tilt to 3 feet; sloped roofs more often use 6–8 inches), and whether panels that sell power to third parties should be treated as a principal use. S6 (Committee member) said community-solar arrangements can alter the use classification and recommended the ordinance say when a system ceases to be accessory and requires additional review. S9 (Committee member) recommended limiting substantive new restrictions so homeowners are not discouraged from installing panels.

The board asked staff to: (1) draft separate height standards for flat and sloped roofs, (2) include an architectural/finish requirement to reduce glare where practical (drawing on Blairstown’s language), (3) consider a decommissioning clause for abandoned systems and (4) clarify that selling significant generating capacity could change a system from accessory to principal use. The board asked staff to return with a draft at the next meeting.