Ancram workshop discusses zoning limits, project size and state review thresholds for solar projects
Board members weighed whether local zoning and size-based rules could be used to limit which solar projects pay PILOTs; the presenter cautioned that rooftop installations on very large buildings can circumvent a roof/ground distinction and noted review thresholds near 20–25 megawatts affect local versus state permitting.
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Members asked whether the town could exempt rooftop systems or smaller projects while requiring PILOTs for larger arrays. The presenter warned that a roof-mounted distinction can sometimes be bypassed — "we have a building that is like you know, a building is like 25 acres" — and advised the board to think about zoning and a rational basis for distinctions rather than a categorical roof/ground split.
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