§ 23-359. Solar power generation facility

(A) Permitted Uses: Solar power generation facility, ancillary electrical substation use, and solar power generating facilities related uses such as battery storage and operation and maintenance structures.

(B) Additional requirements:

(1) Generally. All solar equipment and devices shall comply with Florida law. The regulations imposed herein are not intended to prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the installation of energy devices based on renewable resources pursuant to F.S. § 163.04.

(2) Design standards. The following provisions are intended to facilitate the commercial generation and distribution of solar power within the City. The Table of Uses, Table 23- 421, outlines the zoning district(s) where solar power generation facility is(are) allowed. The below design standards shall be required for Solar Power Generation Facilities and shall supersede other provisions and requirements of the LDRs.

(a) Types of Solar Panels. The solar panels shall be ground mounted and may be fixed mount or solar tracker.

(b) Minimum lot size. The minimum lot size shall be ten (10) acres.

(c) Placement. The development shall comply with the requirements of Article VI:
Resource Protection Standards of the LDRs.
(d) Setbacks. All solar panels and related equipment shall be setback a minimum of 50 feet from all property lines and shall comply with all applicable right-of-way setbacks. On-site power lines and interconnections to electrical grids shall be placed underground where feasible. Transmission lines and supporting poles necessary to move electricity offsite are excluded from this requirement.

(e) Height. The solar panels shall have a maximum height of 15 feet. All other structure heights shall be in accordance with federal regulations and designed to meet North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards.

(f) Fencing. Physical access to a solar power generation facility shall be restricted by fencing or walls. The security fence shall be a minimum height of six feet high and a maximum of eight feet high. All fencing and wall details shall be shown on the site plan.

(g) Impervious Surfaces and Landscaping: Solar panels associated with solar power generation facilities are considered pervious if configured to promote sheet flow of stormwater from panels and natural stormwater infiltration into the ground beneath the panels. The solar panels are not subject to lot coverage restrictions or canopy tree landscaping requirements. A landscape plan will be required at the time of the submittal of the Special Exception Use Permit application.

(h) Glare reduction. Where ground mounted solar panels face abutting residentially developed or zoned parcels or public roadways, the panels shall be made of glare reducing materials.

(i) Access. Solar power generation facilities shall have access to collector or arterial roads.

(j) Emergency access and response. Reasonable accessibility for emergency service vehicles shall be provided and noted on the site plan.

(k) Internal access roads. Internal access roads are not required to meet the street design standards of the LDRs but must be sufficiently stabilized to serve emergency vehicles as established in the emergency response plan.

(l) Maintenance. Solar panels and associated equipment shall be maintained in proper working order and shall not be allowed to enter a state of disrepair.

(m) Abandonment. A solar power generation facility shall be considered abandoned after a one-year period without energy production. The property owner shall be responsible for removing all energy production and transmission equipment and appurtenances within 120 days of abandonment.

 

(Ord. No. 21-20, § 1, 9-10-21)