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<br />MINUTES <br /> <br />City Council and Planning Commission <br />Solar Farm Ordinance Joint Workshop <br />Hugo City Hall <br />Thursday, March 23, 2023 <br />6:00 p.m. <br /> <br /> <br />COUNCIL PRESENT: Klein, Miron, Petryk, Strub, Weidt <br />COUNCIL ABSENT: None <br />PLANNING COMMISSION PRESENT: Andress, Arcand, Derr, Granger, Kelly, Kleissler, <br />Petty <br />PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENT: Lessard <br />STAFF PRESENT: City Administrator Bryan Bear, Community Development Director Rachel <br />Juba, Associate Planner Max Gort <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Weidt called the workshop to order at 6:00 PM. Staff presented background on the <br />existing ordinance relating to and regulating solar energy systems, an existing solar farm project <br />in the city, and the public response to said project. Due to the rising interest for solar farm <br />development in the community, the City Council and Planning Commission both identified a <br />review of the City’s ordinance as it relates to solar farms as a goal for 2023. The City Council <br />approved a six-month moratorium on solar farm development at its February 6th, 2023 meeting, <br />and subsequently directed staff to call a joint workshop with the City Council and Planning <br />Commission. Although the City’s ordinance refers to both accessory solar energy systems and <br />solar farms, this workshop was to focus exclusively on the language relating to solar farms. The <br />existing solar farm in the City, which received development approval in 2018, exceeded the <br />ordinance standards in a number of ways to mitigate visual impact such as increased setbacks, <br />plantings of tall evergreen trees, and the use of a fixed tilt system that does not move. The <br />Planning Commission and City Council discussed the City’s role relating to land use, whether <br />solar farms remain a compatible land use in rural zoning districts, and if there are items in the <br />ordinance that can be revised to mitigate the visual impact. <br /> <br />The Councilmembers and Planning Commissioners discussed a wide spectrum of items relating <br />to three main options of outcome: leave the ordinance as-is, make changes to the ordinance, or <br />prohibit solar farms within the City. The consensus was to review and possibly make changes to <br />the ordinance to mitigate the visual impact. After reviewing public feedback, the workshop <br />determined that visual aesthetics are the primary concern that neighbors are having relating to <br />solar farms. A few ideas brought forward for changes to the ordinance included limitations on <br />project size and density, more expanded landscaping and buffering requirements, and more <br />conditions of approval. The workshop determined that a meeting with the Ordinance Review <br />Committee to determine appropriate changes to the ordinance was needed. An update will be <br />presented to the City Council at its April 3rd, 2023 meeting before an Ordinance Review <br />Committee meeting date is set. <br /> <br />The workshop adjourned at 7:30 PM. <br /> <br />Respectfully Submitted, <br />Max Gort <br />Associate Planner <br />