HOWELL — Following a public hearing on an ordinance that would amend landuse regulations for Howell’s Special Economic Development (SED) zones, the Township Council tabled action on the ordinance until certain changes are made and the Planning Board is able to review the proposed law.
The council introduced the ordinance at its March 15 meeting in order to offer a place for discussion to start as proposals for solar energy facilities begin to arise in the municipality, officials said.
At the present time there is no ordinance regulating what are commonly referred to as solar farms. The facilities generally feature an array of solar panels that produce power that is then sold to a power provider or utility.
According to the ordinance, the mayor and council have determined there is a need to re-evaluate the use and placement of alternative energy facilities and structures in light of the current national and regional trend toward the development of renewable energy generating systems and that the existing zoning regulations do not address this engineering trend as it may impact the use of valuable natural resources and farmland in Howell.
The ordinance states that solar farms should be located in a manner that minimizes views of the facilities from public roads and existing residences not located on the site, by using existing visual barriers including buildings, trees, hedgerows and preexisting natural topography. In some instances, vegetative screens may be installed to obstruct the view of the solar energy facilities.
According to the ordinance, SED zones are meant to provide a variety of economic development opportunities in areas of Howell where rail and highway infrastructure are readily available. Permitted uses for SED zones include offices, financial institutions, medical centers, warehouse and distribution centers, and various manufacturing centers.
Richard Ragan of Solar Wind Energy was at last week’s council meeting to discuss concerns and questions he had about the ordinance and its provisions. He is proposing to develop 70 acres of solar panels on a 100-acre site. He said when he read the ordinance he did not think it all made sense.
The ordinance “labels all of this land as if it were a farm when in fact SED is an industrial use,” he said, adding that his property in Howell is zoned SED.
Other concerns Ragan had were the limit the ordinance places on how much land may be disturbed for a solar farm, the height of the solar panels and the need for screening the panels. He asked if the wording of the ordinance could be reviewed and possibly changed.
Howell’s planner, Fred Heyer, explained why the ordinance is needed and what it is intended to accomplish. He agreed with Ragan that some of the wording may require clarification.
The ordinance “was meant to address the state’s position that solar farms and other forms of renewable energy were inherently beneficial uses,” Heyer said. “Not having an ordinance in place [that permits solar farms in certain zones] gives elevated status to an application that would come in on any site without virtue of any zoning consideration at all.”
The goal of the township is to have something on the books relative to solar energy, the planner said.
“We want to be tough. We want to protect the citizens of Howell, but at the same time we want to be fair,” Mayor Robert Walsh said.
The council members agreed that more work needs to be done on the ordinance and that the Planning Board will need to review the ordinance. The ordinance may be considered for adoption at the council’s meeting on May 10.