Streetsboro puts brakes on solar panel ban
A potential year-long ban on solar panels in Streetsboro is headed back to committee after a debate over whether to exclude residential properties from the moratorium.
The moratorium came up for second reading before Streetsboro City Council, prompting debate over various versions of the ban. Councilmembers discussed the original ordinance, which was recommended by the city's planning commission in June; an amendment suggested by Law Director Paul Janis that would allow residential solar panels, but only if they are mounted on houses; and an amendment suggested by Councilwoman Lisa McDaniel, which would allow ground mounted panels on residential properties as well as those on rooftops.
McDaniel said she has neighbors with ground mounted solar panels, and there have only been 25 panels put up in the city in the past 13 years.
"I don't want to see our residents restricted in this manner when the greater concern would be the outside entities coming in to establish solar farms and having no care for what we have in Streetsboro," she said, referring to the farms as a "separate issue."
Councilman Justin Ring said he is still concerned that someone could set up hundreds of ground-mounted panels on a residential property under McDaniel's amendment. A company is soliciting people in his neighborhood, Ring said.
"What limits them from putting up 200 ground units and essentially creating a solar farm?" he said. Limiting the panels to rooftops, he said, would limit the number of panels on a property.
Mayor Glenn Broska said that if the city has the regulations in place sooner than a year, the moratorium could be lifted. He said the city is concerned about making sure rooftop panels would be safe.
"We see a rush of these, and we have no regulations in place whatsoever to regulate how people put these on their homes," he said.
Councilman Steve Michniak questioned the need for a moratorium.
"I don't want to put up a moratorium and then we become the town where you can't do solar," he said. "I think we're fixing a problem that isn't there."
Michniak noted that various versions of the ordinance are under discussion, and questioned whether it would be ethical to substantially change the original proposal without three readings. So council eventually decided to send the issue back to service committee for further discussion.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Streetsboro puts brakes on solar panel ban
