Staff Notes for 5/19/2022
Town of Queensbury Planning Board
Community Development Department Staff Notes
May 19, 2022
Site Plan 31-2022 KASSELMAN SOLAR/LOREEN HARVEY
1631 Ridge Road/ Rural Residential- 5 Acre/ Ward 1
SEQR Unlisted
Material Review: application, site plan, panel spec, eaf, narrative
Parcel History:na
Warren Co Referral Sent: May 2022/ Comments: __________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Requested Action
Planning Board review and approval for installation of ground solar panel project.
Resolutions
1.SEQR
2.PB decision
Project Description
Applicant proposes to install a 42 panel ground mounted residential solar project. The area to be used is 971.59
sq ft. The solar mechanicals will be located on and internal to the existing garage. The screening is already
existing with tall vegetation and the existing residence. The panel arrangement is static and will be anti-
reflection technology. Site Plan review for residential ground mounted solar. Pursuant to Chapter 179-5-140,
ground mounted solar projects shall be subject to Planning Board review and approval.
Staff Comments
Location-The project is located at 1631 Ridge Road. The parcel is 9.47 ac in the Rural Residential zone 5ac
Arrangement- The project is for a 42 panel ground mounted residential solar project.
Building – The existing home and out buildings are to remain. The garage is to house the mechanicals for
the panel operations.
Site conditions-The parcel is 9.47 acres and is residential use with an existing home and associated out
buildings. The panel placement does not disturb the existing buffer.
Grading and drainage plan, Sediment and erosion control-The area to be disturbed is 971.59 sq ft, minimal
grading is proposed and the area underneath the panels to be gravel.
Landscape plan-The residential solar panel for ground mounted location is to be 75 ft from the property line
and have a vegetative buffer. The panel is located 75 ft from the property line and the existing vegetation is
to remain. Photos are provided showing the vegetative border closest to the panel property line.
Site lighting plan-There is no lighting proposed for this project.
Utility details-The plans show the utility connects will run to the garage from the solar panel location.
Elevations, Floor plans-The applicant has provided an over view of the panel
Waivers-Planning staff has reviewed the applicants request for waivers that include items g. site lighting, h.
signage, j. stormwater, k. topography, l. landscaping, n traffic, o. commercial alterations/ construction
details, p floor plans, q. soil logs, r. construction/demolition disposal s. snow removal.
The waivers requested–Staff finds it reasonable to request a waiver as these items are typically
associated with commercial projects.
Pursuant to Section 179-9-050 the Planning Board may grant waivers on its own initiative or at the
written request of an applicant. The Board is to review the waivers and to determine if they are to be
granted.
Ground Mounted Solar 179-5-140
The project meets the requirements
F.(1)In all districts, a lot must have a minimum size of one acre in order for a freestanding or ground-mounted
solar collector to be permitted. [[773,384,1287,441][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]Lot is greater than 1 acre [[1287,384,1300,441][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]. [[1300,384,1323,441][12][,,][Times
New Roman]]
(2) The location of a ground-mounted or freestanding solar collector shall comply with a seventy-five-foot
setback requirement. Solar farms are exempt from this setback requirement[[1655,499,2343,556][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]. The project is 91 ft to the closest
[[143,556,422,613][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]property line. [[422,556,448,613][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
(3) No ground-mounted or freestanding solar collectors shall be permitted in the front yard. [[1990,614,2277,671][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The project is
[[150,671,624,728][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]located in the side yard [[620,671,632,728][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]. [[632,671,658,728][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
(4) The height of the solar collector and any mount shall not exceed 12 feet when oriented at a maximum tilt to
the horizontal. [[451,786,589,843][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The pa [[589,786,1203,843][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]nel height is no taller than12 f [[1195,786,1210,843][12][,I,][Times
New Roman]]t [[1209,786,1222,843][12][,I,][Times New Roman]] [[1222,786,1433,843][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]and the pa [[1433,786,1964,843][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]nels are in a
fixed position [[1964,786,1976,843][12][,,][Times New Roman]]. [[1976,786,1999,843][12][,,][Times New Roman]]
(5) Ground-mounted and freestanding solar collectors shall be screened as much as practicable from adjoining
lots and street rights-of-way through the use of architectural features, earth berms, landscaping, fencing or other
screening which will harmonize with the character of the property and surrounding area. The proposed
screening shall not, however, interfere with the normal operation of the solar collectors. [[1916,1016,2321,1073][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The project site has
[[150,1074,986,1131][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]existing tall vegetation to the closest prop [[986,1074,1164,1131][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]erty line. [[1164,1074,1190,1131][12][,I,][Times
New Roman]]
(6) Solar energy equipment shall be located in a manner to reasonably minimize blockage of sunlight for
surrounding properties and shading of property to the north while still providing adequate solar access for
collectors. [[370,1246,798,1303][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The project informati [[798,1246,2132,1303][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]on indicates there is antiglare product already part
of the product. [[2132,1246,2158,1303][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
(7) Solar energy equipment shall not be sited within any required buffer areas. [[1741,1303,2143,1360][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]There are no buffer
[[150,1361,928,1418][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]requirements between residential uses. [[928,1361,954,1418][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
(8) The total surface area of all ground-mounted and freestanding solar collectors on a lot shall not exceed the
area of the ground covered by the building structure of the largest building on the lot measured from the exterior
walls, excluding patios, decks, balconies, screened and open porches and attached garages. Installations on
nonresidential properties exceeding the size may be approved by the Planning Board subject to site plan review
pursuant to § 179-9-020. [[658,1648,2324,1705][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The project is 976 sq ft where the total building footprint size exceeds the project si [[2323,1648,2365,1705][12][,I,][Times
New Roman]]ze [[2365,1648,2378,1705][12][,,][Times New Roman]]. [[2378,1648,2401,1705][12][,,][Times New Roman]]
(9) The area beneath ground-mounted and freestanding solar collectors shall be included as 100% plan form in
the maximum horizontal tilt configuration in calculating whether the lot meets maximum permitted lot building
coverage and lot surface coverage requirements for the applicable district, notwithstanding that the collectors
are not buildings[[485,1878,498,1935][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]. [[498,1878,511,1935][12][,I,][Times New Roman]] [[511,1878,1402,1935][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The total footprint
when laid flat is 1,000 +/ [[1397,1878,1413,1935][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]- [[1413,1878,1426,1935][12][,I,][Times New Roman]] [[1426,1878,2381,1935][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]sq
ft and site permeability is 98.95% exceeding
[[150,1936,950,1993][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]the requirement where 75% is required. [[950,1936,973,1993][12][,,][Times New Roman]]
(10) The installation of ground-mounted and freestanding solar collectors shall be considered a development or
development activity for purposes of Chapter 147, Stormwater Management. [[1714,2051,2379,2108][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The site will be graveled area so
[[150,2108,876,2165][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]runoff is directed to the gravel area. [[876,2108,902,2165][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
(11) Solar thermal systems shall comply with the following conditions:[[1571,2166,1637,2223][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]NA [[1637,2166,1660,2223][12][,,][Times New Roman]]
(12) All solar energy systems and equipment shall be permitted only if they are determined by the Town
Building Inspector and Zoning Administrator not to present any unreasonable safely risks. Refer to New York's
Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code standards. [[1259,2338,2158,2395][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]Applicant will complete Building and Codes
[[150,2396,1148,2453][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]requirements when Site Plan review is completed. [[1148,2396,1174,2453][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
(13) Prevention of glare. All solar collectors and related equipment shall be surfaced, designed and sited so as
not to reflect glare onto adjacent properties. [[1049,2511,2269,2568][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]The applicant has indicated the product already contains an
[[150,2568,514,2625][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]antiglare product. [[514,2568,540,2625][12][,I,][Times New Roman]]
H. 7. Decommissioning – The applicant has agreed if a solar collector ceases to perform its originally intended
function for more than 12 consecutive months, the property owner shall remove the collector mount and
.
associated equipment by no later than 90 days after the end of the twelve-month period
Summary
The applicant has completed a site plan application for the installation of a ground mounted solar project for a
residential property. Staff would suggest a condition in regards to the decommission of the solar unit.
st
Meeting History: 1 Meeting
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