Item 9 - Attachment A - 2035 Corridor Committee Meeting Report
ITEM 9 – Attachment A
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Meeting Report
Meeting 29 – December 9, 2020
MEETING
LOCATION: 1400 Main Street, Southlake, Texas 76092
Council Chambers, Town Hall
IN
ATTENDANCE:
• City Council Members: Chad Patton, Shawn McCaskill
• Planning & Zoning Commission Members: Gina Phalen, Daniel Kubiak,
Michael Forman
• Park Board Member: Frances Scharli
• Zoning Board of Adjustment Member: Austin Reynolds
• City Staff: Ken Baker, Dennis Killough
AGENDA
ITEMS:
1. Call to Order.
2. Administrative Comments.
3. Review, discuss and make recommendations on a proposed 3 lot single
family residential development on approximately 3 acres located at 430
Shady Oaks Dr. generally located on thee west side of Shady Oaks Dr.,
1,350 feet north of W. Southlake Blvd.
4. Review, discuss and make recommendations on a proposed 3 lot single
family residential development on approximately 5 acres located at 2755
Florence Rd. generally located on the south side of Florence Rd. between
Brewer Rd. and Katelyn Ln. (a private road).
5. Review, discuss and make recommendations on proposed amendments to
the City of Southlake Zoning Ordinance No. 480, as amended, pertaining to
residential solar panels.
6. Adjournment.
MEETING
OVERVIEW:
On December 9, 2020 the Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee
held their twenty-ninth meeting. The Committee was sent a packet of
materials prior to the meeting that were to be discussed during the
session. A meeting agenda was posted and the meeting time was
advertised on the City’s website. The following meeting report focuses on
discussion points made during the meeting by members of the
Committee, public and City staff. This report is neither verbatim nor does
it represent official meeting minutes; rather it serves to inform elected and
appointed officials, City staff, and the public of the issues and questions
raised by the Committee, City staff, and any attendees of the meeting .
Interested parties are strongly encouraged to follow development cases
through the process. Please visit CityofSouthlake.com/Planning for more
information.
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 3
ITEM #5 DISCUSSION – Review, discuss and make recommendations on proposed
amendments to the City of Southlake Zoning Ordinance No. 480, as amended,
pertaining to residential solar panels.
Staff presentation: Ken Baker
• Purpose of this proposal is to amendment the City’s Zoning Ordinance regarding
Solar Energy Systems
• Current regulation(s)
o Requires Specific Use Permit (SUP) approval for both commercial and
residential properties
o Residential Zones -
▪ Ground Mounted Systems
▪ Roof Mounted Systems
o Non-Residential Zones –
▪ Ground Mounted Systems
• Five (5) proposed recommendations for new regulation
Amendment #1 - Residential Zoning Districts - Allow solar energy systems installed on
flat roof structures accessory buildings placed on a permanent foundation (i.e. patios,
gazebos) to be approved administratively if the following criteria is met
• A line of site analysis demonstrates that the system is not visible from any
roadway right of way.
• The total solar array is less than 600 square feet
Amendment #2 - Residential Zoning Districts - Allow solar energy systems installed on
flat roof structures that are an extension or attached (Patio extension) to the main house
be approved administratively if the following criteria is met
• A line of site analysis demonstrates that the system is not visible from any
roadway right of way.
• The total solar array is less than 600 square feet
Amendment #3 - Non-Residential Zoning Districts - Allow solar energy systems installed
on flat roof structures to be approved administratively if the following criteria is met
• A line of site analysis demonstrates that the system is not visible from any
roadway right of way or any adjacent residential zoned or land use plan property
Amendment #4 - Residential Zoning Districts - Allow solar energy systems installed on
the residential roof structures to be approved administratively if the following criteria is
met:
• A line of site analysis demonstrates that the system is not visible from any
roadway right of way.
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 4
• The total solar array is less than 600 square feet.
• The property owner submits a standardized acknowledgement form from all
adjacent residential property owners acknowledging that they are aware of the
scope of the project and are not opposed. If forms are not received from the
adjacent property owners than a SUP permit is required to be processed and
approve
Amendment #5 - Residential Zoning Districts - Allow solar energy systems installed on
the residential roof structures to be approved administratively if the following criteria is
met:
• A line of site analysis demonstrates that the system is not visible from any
roadway right of way.
• The total solar array is less than 600 square feet
Questions for staff by the Committee:
Chad Patton: Has everyone had an opportunity to review the recommendations for this
proposal?
Shawn McCaskill: I couldn’t be more supportive
Chad Patton: All in agreement that recommendations moving forward in this proposal
are fully supported by this committee?
Ken Baker: Next steps in the process – SPIN in January; present to P&Z at second
meeting in January; present to City Council in February
Shawn McCaskill: Thank you for coming up with this idea to have more administrative
approval so that these types of cases do not always have to come to City Council.
Seeing some many solar panel cases helps us know what works and what does not
work.
Ken Baker: Both City Council and P&Z Commission requested to investigate
administrative approvals of solar panels, just following your directive on this.
Shawn McCaskill: Last two options – can you restate them?
Ken Baker: One recommendation required approval from the surrounding neighbors, as
long as it is not visible from the right-of-way, and the other recommendation does not
require neighbor approval as long as it is not visible from the right -of-way.
Shawn McCaskill: It seems there have been several times that neighbors want to
respond, so it’s good to design a process that doesn’t hold the applicant hostage
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 5
Chad Patton: This will help set a precedent for applicants and neighbors to recognize
there is not as much resistance on solar panels, and we must recognize this is not going
away. Requests will continue to be more frequent than they have been in the past.
Technologies and efficiencies will continue to change.
Ken Baker: We will bring up amendment five, which allows the option for the
development to go back to the neighbors (a form or some type of acknowledgement) as
it goes through the process.
Austin Reynolds: It’ll get better, especially with the introduction of the shingles.
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 6
STAFF PRESENTATION SHOWN TO COMMITTEE:
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 7
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 8
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 9
Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee Item #5 – Solar Energy Systems
Meeting #29 – December 9, 2020 Page 10