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2 <br />Surrounding: North – 50th Street N and single family homes zoned RR <br />West – single family home zoned RR <br />South – single family home zoned RR <br />East – Lake Elmo Avenue and agricultural land zoned RR <br />Comprehensive Plan: Rural Area Development (RAD) <br />History: The existing single family home on this site was built in 1986. To the best <br />of our knowledge, no other development applications have been filed for <br />this property in the past. <br />Deadline for Action: Application Complete – 10/22/2021 <br />60 Day Deadline – 12/21/2021 <br />Extension Letter Mailed – 11/30/2022 <br />120 Day Deadline – 2/19/2022 <br />Extended Deadline (Signed Waiver) – 3/31/2022 <br />Regulations: 105.12.110 – Zoning Use Types and Classifications <br />Article XI – Rural Districts <br />105.12.480 – Landscaping Requirements <br />105.12.560 – Standards for Alternative Energy <br />105.04.220 – Solar Energy Systems <br />105.12.1470 – Solar Farms <br />ISSUE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL <br />The City Council is being asked to review and consider the CUP request of the CEF Lake Elmo <br />Community Solar Garden for the construction and operation of a solar farm on the property <br />located at 10755 50th Street N. with the revised plans. <br />PROJECT ANALYSIS <br />A solar farm is defined as a “commercial facility that converts sunlight into electricity, whether <br />by photovoltaic (PV), concentrating solar thermal devices (CST), or other conversion <br />technology, for the principal purpose of sales of generated electricity to off-site customers.” <br />Solar farms are a conditional use in the RR district and thus require approval of a conditional use <br />permit. <br />The proposed solar farm is a 1-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) facility which will utilize <br />approximately 7 acres of the 10.9 acre site. The applicant proposes to install approximately 2,250 <br />PV modules arranged in north-south rows spaced approximately 15 feet apart. The PV modules <br />are glass with anti-reflective coating (not mirror design) and are 9 feet in height, as shown on the <br />attached plans. The proposed facility includes inverters and switch gear located on the north side <br />of the site on 7’ by 12’ concrete pads, and up to 3 new utility poles. The site will be secured by a <br />8’ galvanized wire mesh fence. The facility has an expected life of 25-30 years. <br />Access to this site is via a 16’ wide gravel drive off of 50th Street North. There is no permanent <br />off-site parking located on the site.