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Ancram workshop discusses zoning limits, project size and state review thresholds for solar projects
Summary
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.
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.
He also reviewed jurisdictional review thresholds: local zoning typically applies up to about 20 megawatts; developers can opt into state review between roughly 20 and 25 megawatts; projects above 25 megawatts commonly enter the state review process. The presenter recommended factoring zoning and review thresholds into any local-law drafting so policy cannot be easily evaded.
