BELLEFONTE — Residents in Bellefonte Borough will have new guidelines for installing solar panels on their property.
On Oct. 16, borough council voted unanimously to advertise a draft of an ordinance outlining guidelines and permitting for those wishing to use photovoltaic cells to collect energy for their homes or businesses.
The ordinance doesn’t give permit applicants the right to prohibit their neighbors from developing a nearby property that would cause a solar array to be in the shade, nor does it require a neighbor to cut down or avoid growing vegetation that would block the array.
Older systems will be grandfathered in, and owners are able to repair and replace pieces of their solar setup without having to adhere to the new ordinance.
According to the ordinance, zoning permit applications will document compliance and will require drawings of the property showing the location of the system, as well as property lines, zoning setbacks and structures.
Solar energy systems can be located on a principal or accessory building.
Among other restrictions, solar energy systems are subject to already-existing maximum height regulations and setbacks, and can’t extend beyond any portion of a roof edge.
Ground-mounted solar energy systems can’t be installed in a front yard property. Homeowners will need to screen the mechanical equipment of ground-mounted systems using shrubs or trees.
A special section of the ordinance deals with historic properties. Solar modules on the roof surfaces of historic properties must blend in or not be visible from the primary facade — or front of the house — or primary elevation. Owners of historic properties will also have to comply with federal guidelines concerning historic buildings.
The full ordinance is on display for public viewing.
In other news from Bellefonte Borough, the council voted in favor of committing $140,000 toward renovating the Kepler Pool at Governor’s Park in Spring Township. The pool needs extensive work in order to stay open for the coming years, said Don Holderman, assistant borough manager.
The pool is run by the YMCA and the Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority.
Council voted unanimously in favor of contributing $140,000, with the expectation that Benner, Spring and Walker townships also contribute to the project. The payments would be spread out over five years.
Holderman said the NVJRA will soon be releasing a new study outlining the critical work that needs to be done. They’ll also be going after a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to cover a portion of the costs.
