Grand Chute Town City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVII
Freestanding Solar Energy Systems
§ 535-121 Permit required.
No person, firm, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or any other entity shall be allowed to construct a solar energy system, as defined in § 13.48(2)(h)(l)(g), Wis. Stats., within the Town of Grand Chute without first obtaining a permit as herein required.
§ 535-122 Application for permit.
[Amended 6-18-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-07]
Every application for a permit shall be made upon a form furnished by the Community Development Department and verified and shall contain the name, place of residence, the purpose for which a permit is desired, and detailed plans for the installation and location of the solar energy system. Such plans shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, a map of the exact location of the solar energy system, a narrative explanation or description of the size and nature of the solar energy system, as well as detailed specifications of the solar energy system sufficient to make any determination necessary under § 535-123 below.
§ 535-123 Investigation; action on permit application.
[Amended 6-18-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-07]
Upon receipt of each such application, the Community Development Director shall immediately institute such investigation of the applicant's detailed plans and specifications for the solar energy system, and may involve other departments of the Town, consultants, and/or experts, as useful or necessary. The Community Development Director shall decide whether to approve, deny, or conditionally approve an application in accordance with both § 66.0401, Wis. Stats., and the following design criteria:
A.
The height of any freestanding solar energy system and/or attached accessory may not exceed the distance from the base or any projection of the solar energy system to the any applicable adjacent property line, sidewalk, or publicly utilized facility of any nature.
B.
The height of any solar energy system and/or attached accessory which is affixed to or made part of a principal building located on any property may not exceed the height of the principal building structure.
C.
A solar energy system shall be located in the rear or side yard.
D.
The applicant understands that no applicable adjacent property owner shall be required to remove structures or vegetation that may block sunlight to the solar energy system.
E.
Neighbors within a three-hundred-foot radius of a proposed solar unit being installed are to be notified by the Town of the installation and this cost will become part of the permit cost.
§ 535-124 Permit application fee.
The permit application fee shall be payable according to the Town Building Permit Fee Schedule.
§ 535-125 Variance.
[Added 6-18-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-07]
In any particular case where a landowner can show that strict compliance with any requirement of this article would cause unnecessary hardship and/or would not comply with the requirements outlined in § 66.0401, Wis. Stats., the Plan Commission may grant a variance from the provisions of this article, provided such relief may be granted without detriment to the public good and without impairing the intent and purpose of this article or the desirable general development of the Town of Grand Chute. No variance shall be granted by the Plan Commission that is contrary to provisions of the Wisconsin Administrative Code or the Wisconsin Statutes.