(A) Owners or operators of solar energy facilities established after the effective date of this chapter shall present four copies of a site plan which conform to the standards of this chapter, and submit the required fee, to the Township Community Development Department. The site plan shall include setbacks, panel locations, any ground mounted electrical equipment, panel sizes, and location of property lines, buildings, road right of ways, utility easements, and buffer landscaping plan.
(B) The owners shall submit a map analysis showing a radius of five nautical miles from the center of the solar energy facility (SEF) with any airport operations within the area highlighted and such map shall be submitted with the permit application.
(C) For consideration of potential impacts to low altitude airport flight paths, notification of intent to construct the SEF shall be sent to the Airport Zoning Authority having jurisdiction, at least 60 days before the scheduled Planning Commission meeting. Notification shall include location of the SEF (i.e., map, coordinates, address, parcel ID), technology (i.e., ground-mounted fixed, tracked PV, solar thermal, etc.), and the area of the system (e.g., 20 acres). A copy shall be included with the permit application and site plan including the proof of delivery of the notification and date of delivery to the Airport Zoning Authority.
(D) The owners shall submit copies of regulatory approvals from applicable state and federal agencies having jurisdiction.
(E) A certificate of insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 liability coverage per incidence, per occurrence shall be required naming Kochville Township as additional insured. An expired insurance certificate or an unacceptable liability coverage amount is grounds for revocation of the special use permit.
(F) The Zoning Administrator or Township Zoning Consultant shall review the site plan and submit the plan to the Planning Commission within 45 days of receipt and staff review to insure conformity with the requirements of this chapter. After review and study of any application and related material, the Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing. Notices shall be given in accordance with § 155.385.
(G) The Planning Commission shall make recommendation to the Township Board of Trustees to approve, deny, or approve with conditions, a request for special use permit within 60 days of its submission to the Planning Commission.
(H) The Township Board shall require a surety bond in an amount sufficient to cover costs of removal of the SEF in case of abandonment.
(I) Any modifications of the approved site plan that are made after the initial approval, which include the expansion or reduction of the project area, shall be re-submitted to the Township Planning
Commission for review and approval at an additional fee based upon the current fee schedule. Incidental and minor variations of the approved site plan may be approved by the Zoning Administrator. Incidental and minor variations in this context are defined as a change in location of access roads, solar panels, electrical inverters, storage buildings which conform to the requirements of this subchapter and are within the approved project area.
(Ord. 17-07, passed 11-20-2017; Ord. 23-01, passed 1-17-2023)