IVINS — The Ivins City Council has discussed changing its zoning ordinances to allow for ground-based solar panels.

The council didn’t make any final decisions on the measure at its Thursday night meeting, but set a future public hearing on vote on whether to allow residences to install the panels that are usually placed on ground-based poles or structures, rather than on roofs, to provide an alternative electricity source for homes. 

Council members expressed concern about such panels being unsightly, though some were also concerned too many regulations about the panels’ appearance could hinder the benefits of their use. 

“I think we all agree we don’t want something unsightly, but who are we screening from?” council member Dennis Mehr said during the meeting. 

The council agreed that it would be against so-called solar farms of several ground-based panels. 

The amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance comes after a request by Ivins resident Suzy Appel at the council’s Nov. 4 meeting to place solar panels on the grounds of her property, saying she did not have enough space on her roof for the panels.

The current zoning ordinance in Ivins allows only roof-mounted solar panels.

The proposed ordinance, as drafted by the city’s Planning Commission would allow for grounded units under the following stipulations:

• The equipment supporting the panels must be the same color as the adjoining building and screened by landscaping or fencing.
• It should be screened by six-foot fencing and the panels themselves cannot exceed eight feet in height.  

Appel, appearing at Thursday’s meeting as well, said there were issues with the same color stipulation, mentioning most panel supports come in a metallic aluminum and cannot be painted.

“The manufacturer said that would void the warranty,” Appel said. “If you paint something, we’re kind of stuck.”

Council member Lance Anderson said he was concerned about how ground-based solar panels would look throughout the city.

“I bet if we got a lot of panels, people would complain,” Anderson said. “I honestly believe the ones on the roof look better. If they’re sitting on a field, they’re more offensive than if they’re on a roof. Once it starts, we will have a hard time reining it back in.”

Anderson suggested one possibility would be to allow such panels only on larger properties, where they could be set back away from eyes not on the property. But Mehr said that would discriminate against people with smaller properties. 

“We shouldn’t ace out someone just because they don’t have a bigger lot,” Mehr said. “There should not be have and have nots.”

Ivins Mayor Chris Hart took issue with the proposed stipulation that the shielding fence around the panels and their supports must adhere to the city’s fencing ordinances, which he said would discourage people from adding clean energy and reduce reliance on the electrical grid. “If the screening has to match our ordinance, it doesn’t become affordable and loses its benefit,” he said.

Appel’s husband Dave also spoke to the council and expressed frustration with the process. “We’ve been doing this since October,” Dave Appel said. “We’re trying to do it the right way, but the feels like we’re being penalized.” 

Hart responded that the Appels are not being punished but noted it takes a process to change the city’s ordinances.

In the end, the council placed the new grounded solar panel ordinance for discussion at either of the council’s March meetings. 

Former councilman appointed to waste council

The council completed the process to re-appoint former council member Cheyne McDonald to Washington County Solid Waste District Board, for which he has served as the chairman.

The position is usually filled by a member of the council, but the body voted on Jan. 6 to allow McDonald to still represent the city on the Washington County Solid Waste District Board despite being voted off the council in November. 

However, the council still needed to go through a process of posting a vacancy for the position and take other applications for the position. According to the city, no other applicants filed.   

“Cheyne was the only applicant that was submitted,” City Manager Dale Coulam said. 

McDonald was voted out by 47 votes in November’s election after serving since January 2010 on the council. During the council’s Feb. 6 meeting, the council voted to allow McDonald to still represent the city on the Washington County Solid Waste District Board.

Kevin Kunz, the manager of the Washington County Solid Waste District and an Ivins resident, spoke in favor of McDonald.

“He’s battled a lot of good fights for the district,” Kunz said. “It’s been a crappy job for him but he’s proud of serving.”

Hart said McDonald’s “business savvy has been a blessing for the district,” while Mehr said appointing McDonald was a “good idea.”

The council voted unanimously, 5-0, to appoint McDonald.

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