Fox Chapel property owners may soon find it a little easier to have solar panels.
Council unanimously voted Monday advertising amendments to its ordinance regulating such sun-powered equipment.
It also approved sending it to the Allegheny County Planning Department for a 45-day review.
The ordinance is expected to be passed in October.
Two changes in the proposed legislation will eliminate steps people have to go through to install solar panels.
Having them mounted on the roof at the front of the house would become a permitted use.
It is currently a conditional use, meaning property owners would have to go before the planning commission, pay a fee and eventually have to get council approval before installation.
Solicitor Bruce Bowden said a person would only have to notify code enforcement and get a permit for the panels should they become a permitted use.
Solar panels are already a permitted use if installed on the side or the rear of a house.
Bowden said ground-mounted solar panels, such as the small lights that typically illuminate a driveway or walkway, would also become a permitted use if the panels equate to four-square-feet or less.
The amended ordinance also stipulates on flat roofs, “solar panels shall not be visible from the public right of way or any adjacent property located within 75 feet of the building on which the solar panels are located. Such visibility shall be measured at a level of 5 feet from the ground on such right of way or property.”
Council members said aesthetics was a concern, and this section of the ordinance addresses those concerns.
Councilwoman Mandy Steele had been pushing for lighter restrictions on solar panels for some time.
She said after the meeting the changes would streamline the process for people who want to become more environmentally friendly.
“I presented the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative to council several years ago in an attempt to make solar as accessible as possible,” she said. “Many of our residents are concerned about climate change and wish to utilize solar systems in their homes.
“Earlier this summer, council voted to direct our planning commission to revise our solar ordinance to more closely follow Penn Future’s model ordinance set forth in the Initiative, removing unnecessary fees and streamlining the process.
“The planning commission undertook a very thorough rewrite of the ordinance, and I was thrilled to make the motion to advertised the new ordinance. With the passage of the (federal) Inflation Reduction Act and the accompanying incentives for homeowners to purchase solar systems, we will see more residents than ever moving in this direction. It’s exciting to see council respond positively to our resident’s desire for clean, affordable energy in their homes.”
The SunShot Initiative was designed to reduce the total costs of solar energy by 75%, according to the department’s website energy.gov.
In other business
Council voted 5-1 to appoint two deputy emergency management coordinators.
Steele was the lone dissenter. Councilman Tom Karet was absent.
Emergency management coordinator and police Chief Michael Stephens recommended Randy Scott and Mike Pohl for the volunteer positions.
Steele commended Pohl’s service to the borough, but argued only one deputy EMC was necessary and she leaned toward Scott.
Both Scott and Pohl are members of the borough’s volunteer fire department with Pohl serving as lieutenant. Polh has a master’s degree in management and completed a diverse array of fire and rescue courses, as well as several FEMA courses related to emergency management.
Scott has worked for the FBI, New Mexico Urban Search and Rescue task force, New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Management, and the New Mexico’s Inspector General’s Office.
He also has managerial experience in administrative, financial, investigative and personnel issues dealing with emergency management at a state, federal and private sector.
“Both gentlemen are highly qualified, and I am excited to work with them,” Stephens said. “Our goal will be to prepare the borough for any emergency management situation that may occur.”
