The Presque Isle City Council Wednesday voted for a second time to table and workshop a change to a section of the city’s land use ordinance that would hinder future solar development in the city.
The Presque Isle Planning Board put forth amendments in September requiring new solar projects in the city to have a 1,200-foot setback from a residence or paved road and be buffered by at least four rows of trees, among other stipulations.
The amendments, designed to hide solar arrays from public view, came after the board said it has received numerous complaints calling large solar arrays eyesores. The nearly quarter-mile setback requirement is unheard of in Maine, which is primarily why the council returned the proposal to the planning board to clarify why they chose that distance.
The planning board declined to make changes, and board chair Bruce Roope, speaking before the council Wednesday, offered a simple explanation why: to prevent new solar projects from going up.
“We have plenty of solar panels in Presque Isle,” Roope told the council. “It’s time for other communities to step up.”
The council again acknowledged the need for a buffer between the projects and residences or roads, but called 1,200 feet “drastically overkill” and pushed the proposed changes back to the planning board with the goal of reconciling their differences.
“Our planning board needs to plan for the future, not take a hard stance on how they feel about something that is happening,” Councilor Mike Chasse said. “If we leave this at 1,200 feet, I bet we’re going to disqualify 80% of the land in town. It’s foolish.”
It’s unclear when the changes could come before the council again.
