Corcoran City Zoning Code

Subd. 1. Findings.

The intent of this Section is to allow reasonable capture and use, by households, businesses, and property owners of their solar energy resource, and encourage the development of renewable energy businesses, consistent with community development standards. This is consistent with Chapter 4, Section 8 of the Corcoran 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which states that the "City of Corcoran will protect [solar] access by requiring minimum standards for lot sizes, amounts of open space, yard setbacks, and maximum height of buildings for urban residents that create the opportunity for all building owners to develop solar energy facilities if desired."

The general purpose of this subsection is to regulate the placement, construction and modification of solar energy systems in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, while not unreasonably interfering with the development of the solar energy systems in the City. Specifically, the purposes of this Ordinance are:

A.

To regulate the location of solar energy systems.

B.

To protect residential areas and land uses from potential adverse impacts of solar energy systems.

C.

To minimize adverse visual impacts of solar energy systems and facilities through design, siting, landscaping, and screening.

D.

To avoid adverse impacts to adjacent properties caused by solar energy systems by ensuring that those structures are soundly and carefully designed, constructed, modified, maintained and promptly removed when no longer used.

E.

To ensure that solar energy systems are compatible with surrounding land uses.

Subd. 2. Development of Solar Energy Systems.

A.

Solar Energy Systems shall be permitted in the City of Corcoran according to Table 1 of this section.

Table 1 - Types of Solar Energy Systems

Subd. 3. General Standards.

A.

Solar energy systems shall conform to the following standards:

1.

Building Permit. A building permit shall be required for the erection of solar energy system. Prior to the issuance of a building permit, the operator must provide evidence of an agreement with the local utility. Off-grid systems less than 6 square feet in size, such as accent lighting systems, power supply for traffic control systems, powering a water pump for water gardens, telecommunication systems, backup power systems during power outages, etc. shall be exempt from obtaining a building permit.

2.

It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to secure any solar energy easements, if applicable, to protect solar access for the system (per Minn. Stats §500.30 as may be amended).

3.

SES Systems shall comply with all applicable building, electric, and plumbing codes. Solar energy system components shall be labeled with the manufacturers name and address, model number, and serial number. Electric solar system components that are connected to a building electric system must have an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing.

4.

Glare. All solar arrays or panels shall be installed or positioned so as not to cause any glare or reflective sunlight that results in potential for permanent eye damage onto neighboring properties or structures. Staff may require a glare analysis that demonstrates compliance with this standard, as deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the City.

5.

Power and Communication Lines. Power and communication lines running between banks of solar panels and to electric substations or interconnections with buildings shall be buried underground, consistent with Section 945.060 (Other Utilities) of the City Code. Exemptions may be granted by the Zoning Administrator in instances where shallow bedrock, water courses, or other elements of the natural landscape interfere with the ability to bury lines.

6.

Setbacks. Ground mounted solar energy systems must be located a minimum of 100 feet from a residential dwelling unit not located on the property. Ground mounted systems shall meet the minimum accessory building setback for the zoning district.

7.

Height. Ground mounted solar energy systems shall not exceed 12 feet.

8.

Required Landscaping. All ground-mounted solar energy systems resulting in panel coverage of more than 100 square feet shall provide:

a.

A mix of pollinator and native groundcover mix beneath panel arrays, that provide native perennial vegetation and foraging habitat beneficial to gamebirds, songbirds, and pollinators and reduces stormwater runoff and erosion at the solar generation site, subject to the standards of Minnesota State Statutes §216B.1642.

b.

A mix of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs shall be provided to buffer the panels from adjacent properties and right-of-way and shall meet the following standards:

i.

Plant material shall meet the minimum sizing requirements of Section 1060.070 Subd. 2 D (Landscaping, Minimum Size Requirements).

ii.

In areas where panels are visible from adjacent properties or public rights-of-way, the applicant shall provide 1 tree per 15 lineal feet of security fence or lot line to be buffered and one shrub per 10 lineal feet of security fence or lot line to be buffered.

iii.

Natural looking and effective screening is desired, consequently, exceptions to buffering standards may be granted if the natural landscape provides screening from adjacent public rights-of-way and neighboring properties.

9.

Erosion and sediment control shall meet the requirements of Section 950 of the City Code.

Subd. 4. Application Requirements.

A.

Persons desiring to construct a solar energy system shall submit an application according to the standards of Table 1 of Subd. 2 (A). Applicants shall also submit the following materials:

B.

Glare Study. If required by the Zoning Administrator, the applicant shall submit a glare study that analyzes glare from the adjacent right-of-way and adjacent residential properties using the Solar Glare Hazard Analysis Tool from Sandia National Laboratories or an equivalent tool.

Subd. 5. Home Owners Association.

All new residential developments may create provisions for solar use within the homeowners owners association documents.

(Ord. 328, passed 08-25-16, Ord. 355, passed 09-28-17, Ord. 376, passed 08-23-18, Ord. 383, passed 10-25-18, Ord. 454, passed 03-24-22)