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Planning Commission backs allowing roof-mounted solar in I-2 zone, forwards amendment to supervisors
Summary
The commission voted to forward a text amendment to permit roof-mounted solar in the I-2 industrial zone by conditional use after a presentation by DSS Law and Sigma Renewables about safety features, remote monitoring and operations plans for prospective sites including 40 Dauphin Drive.
Attorney Paul Schemel, representing DSS Law, and Garrett Peterson of Sigma Renewables presented a text amendment on Jan. 8 to permit roof-mounted solar arrays in the township's I-2 (General Industrial) zoning district by Conditional Use. The presenters said they are evaluating three properties, including 40 Dauphin Drive, 100 Fry Drive and 6 Doughten Road.
Peterson described site operations and safety features: "The installation will include an automatic kill switch. Which would kill all power to the array and invertors in the case of an emergency or fire." He said arrays would be remotely monitored, feed power directly to the grid, and be serviced under an operations-and-maintenance plan, with routine site visits normally twice a year. Commissioners asked about snow removal from panels and emergency-responder training; Peterson said panels shed snow as runoff and described a ground-level cut-off switch and training procedures for responders. The Commission voted to forward the amendment to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for approval.
Several commissioners also questioned why the I-2 zone had not been addressed when the Commission previously amended the I-1 zone and whether other zones such as C-3 should be considered for future changes. The Board of Supervisors will consider the text amendment at a future meeting.
