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WHEREAS, the City Council finds that Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities
<br />should be reviewed through a Specific Use Permit process in order to evaluate
<br />compatibility, future land use, drainage, emergency response, fire protection, access,
<br />electrical interconnection, screening, buffering, glare, maintenance, decommissioning,
<br />financial assurance, and other potential impacts; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City Council finds that Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities
<br />should not be permitted in the Agricultural (A) District and that property located in the
<br />Agricultural (A) District must first be rezoned to an eligible zoning district before any
<br />Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facility may be considered; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that rezoning property from Agricultural
<br />(A) District to an eligible zoning district should not create any entitlement to approval of
<br />a Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facility and that Specific Use Permit approval, site plan
<br />approval, engineering approval, utility approval, building permits, fire permits, electrical
<br />permits, certificates of occupancy or completion, and other applicable approvals should
<br />remain independently required; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City Council finds that Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities may
<br />be appropriate only in the Light Industrial (LI) and Heavy Industrial (HI) zoning districts
<br />when reviewed and approved by Specific Use Permit and conditioned to protect
<br />surrounding land uses, future development areas, infrastructure, and public health,
<br />safety, and welfare; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City Council finds that Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities
<br />should generally not be approved on property identified for future residential,
<br />commercial, mixed-use, institutional, park, public, or other urban development unless
<br />the City Council determines that the proposed facility is consistent with the City's
<br />Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use Plan, and long-term planning objectives; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the City's adopted construction codes, fire
<br />code, electrical code, Technical Standards Manual, Engineering Standard Details Book,
<br />utility requirements, and battery energy storage system requirements should apply to
<br />Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City Council desires to adopt DSM -001, Utility -Scale Solar
<br />Energy Facilities Development Standards Manual, by reference as the administrative,
<br />technical, design, review, operational, maintenance, decommissioning, and use
<br />standards manual for Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities, while reserving legislative
<br />zoning decisions, district eligibility, Specific Use Permit requirements, and major
<br />substantive changes to the City Council; and
<br />WHEREAS, Utility -Scale Solar Energy Facilities may include or be associated
<br />with Battery Energy Storage Systems, and the City Council finds that any Battery
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