NEWS

Residents want saving trees objective of solar ordinance

By ALEX MALM
Posted 11/25/21

By ALEX MALM It was a packed room once again at the Warwick Police Department's Community Room last Thursday as the Planning Board outlined possible amendments to the City's comprehensive plan encouraging solar in the built environment. The

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NEWS

Residents want saving trees objective of solar ordinance

Posted

It was a packed room once again at the Warwick Police Department’s Community Room last Thursday as the Planning Board outlined possible amendments to the City’s comprehensive plan encouraging solar in the built environment.

The comprehensive plan helps to guide the Planning Board in making different decisions. 

In this case the comprehensive plan would help the Board when it makes an advisory recommendation for the City’s solar ordinance. 

Currently the City doesn’t have a solar ordinance and the Administration, the City Council along with residents want to change that. 

Earlier this summer the Council was expected to give second passage to a solar ordinance but the council faced opposition and concerns from individuals, prompting Mayor Frank Picozzi to request the Council to table the ordinance until he could bring on a new Planning Director following the departure of Principal Planner Lucas Murray.

Picozzi and the new Planning Director Tom Kravitz held a community-based workshop last month to discuss the proposed ordinance and to solicit feedback from the community.

The Council formally withdrew the original proposed ordinance during its Nov.1 meeting and also unanimously approved a sixth month moratorium. The moratorium could end before six months if a solar ordinance is approved before then. It could also be extended with Council action. 

In the meantime Kravitz was tasked with seeking more input from the community as he crafts an ordinance that will need two votes from the City Council in order to be approved. 

Kravitz presented the Board and the public with some proposed amendments to the comprehensive plan. 

One of the proposed amendments is to preserve existing forests from solar development in exchange for solar in developed commercial and industrial areas.

He also proposed adding an amendment to the comp plan to state “upon observing three solar facilities which have been installed via the zoning amendment process (RIGL 45- 24-51), and through the course of developing solar policy, there is a clear public consensus to focus solar arrays within existing developed commercial & industrial areas –perhaps through accessory use solar canopies and rooftop solar.”

“Preserving existing, undeveloped forest tracts, whether by open space preservation, or in concert with residential zoning districts parameters, is preferred,” the proposed amendment read. 

Bob Oberg, who has been vocal about the need to take a hard look at any proposed solar ordinance said  “with regard to the comprehensive plan, I think the changes recommended do a good job of supporting the city’s emphasis on protecting forested areas, but could be strengthened to add similar protections for open space. While owners of open space have a right to request a zoning change, they do not have an inalienable right to solar development. Some of Warwick’s open spaces are under intense pressure from solar developers. The ordinance and comp plan revisions provide the city with a valuable opportunity to enhance the level of protection for these spaces.”

Kravitz said that he would incorporate the comments he received from community members and is expected to have a new draft for their Dec. 8 meeting. 

“We’re always listening to the people about how the people feel about solar in the City.”

Once the Planning Board approves of the advisory opinion it will be sent to the City Council for their consideration.

residents, trees, solar

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