Zoning amendments that explicitly allow for a variety of solar panel installations in parts of Yarmouth received approval from the Planning Board last week, sending the proposed changes to the Yarmouth Town Council’s final say.

The proposed amendments allow solar arrays under 2 acres as the primary use for lots in commercial and industrial districts, or at any brownfield site in town. Any array larger than 2 acres is prohibited throughout the town, a significant reduction from the original proposed amendment, which capped all allowed projects at 10 acres.

The zoning changes also more explicitly allow for solar panels on rooftops of buildings they are powering as an accessory use. Although this option is already technically allowed in Yarmouth and solar panels can be seen on many residential roofs, more clearly outlining this permission is intended to encourage the adoption of solar by Yarmouth residents, according Director of Planning and Development Erin Zwirko.

Additionally, the zoning amendments outline requirements for ground-mounted solar panels as accessories to buildings. These installations are limited to commercial, industrial, low-density residential and rural residential zoning districts and have size and height restrictions.

“Overall, it’s a fantastic step for the town to have the solar ordinance, to have clarity, to remove barriers to renewable energy,” said Megan Hellstedt, Yarmouth Climate Action Board co-chair. 

Changing Yarmouth’s zoning amendments to directly outline permissions and restrictions for solar energy installations originated when the Planning Board heard a proposal from New Leaf Energy for a solar panel farm next to Cross Cemetery on land leased from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The project met widespread community opposition and prompted the Planning Board to examine whether this project, or any large-scale solar project at all, was allowed as solar was not explicitly stated in the existing zoning ordinance. Legal counsel then advised Yarmouth to adopt zoning amendments that explicitly allow for solar projects in specified zones and adopt performance standards and a review procedure for these projects.

Under the new zoning amendments, the 8-acre New Leaf Energy solar project would not be allowed, and in June the energy company said it would likely not pursue a smaller project in the town.

Updating the zoning amendments to include solar energy projects was also timely and aligned with the town’s other goals, such Yarmouth’s Climate Action Plan — which commits the Town to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 — and the Comprehensive Plan and Open Space Plan, which recommend updating policies regarding land use decisions, said Zwirko.

After Zwirko and the town’s sustainability coordinator developed the zoning amendments over the spring, the Planning Board held two workshops on the draft zoning amendments this summer. The first workshop in June focused on principal use solar installations, while the second workshop in August focused on accessory solar installations. Incorporating concerns and suggestions from the public, various committees of Yarmouth and the Planning Board, Zwirko presented the final zoning amendments to the board on Sept. 5.

The final discussion last week resulted in two minor changes: Trees over 8 inches in diameter at breast height, rather than 12 inches, must be mapped in surveys before large-scale solar projects, and a sentence about transmission lines was removed.

The Planning Board considered adding an allowance for municipal and school facilities to have ground-mounted solar despite largely being in the medium-density residential, which is not a permitted zoning area for this type of installation otherwise under the proposed amendments. The board ultimately decided it would consider allowing these exceptions through a later zoning amendment in the case that either the municipality or schools stated intentions for such an installation.

The Planning Board also committed to revisiting the zoning amendments in a year to address any concerns and examine if it restricted solar installation too severely in Yarmouth. Over the course of the public hearing process, the proposed amendments decreased the size and other restrictions of solar allowed in the town.

Following their unanimous approval from the board, the amendments will head to the Yarmouth Town Council, where they will undergo a workshop, public hearing and council vote likely over the course of October.