TO: Hillside Building Committee
DATE: February 8, 2017
FROM: George Burton, Planner
SUBJECT: Combined Review for Lodato Residence - 7903 N. 54th Place (APN: 169-06-071). Application for roof mounted solar panels.
Request
The owners of the property located at 7903 N 54th Place submitted an application to add roof mounted solar panels on top of the existing house.
Solar Panels
The existing home is a flat roofed residence and the applicant is proposing to add 13 solar arrays on top of the roof. The new solar panels have black frames, black racking supports, and will be screened by the existing parapets to the north, west and south. However, there is not a sufficient amount of parapet along the east side to screen the solar panels. The applicant has indicated that the hillside to the east will screen the solar panels. The applicant will also be installing black metal skirts (which have a light reflective value of 5%) around all the panels to help conceal any solar panel that may not be sufficiently screened. Staff has several concerns:
* There is a discrepancy between the narrative and the plans. The narrative identifies that the parapets range in height from 1' to 6' tall and the cross section (on Sheet PV 2 and PV2.2) shows the solar panels and parapets at a height of 2' tall. The applicant verbally clarified that the parapets are not lower than 2' tall; but due the discrepancy, a stipulation has been added requiring that no solar panel shall exceed the height of the adjoining parapet;
* There is concern that the hillside or skirts will not sufficiently screen the solar panels along the east side of the house; and
* There is concern that any skirting which is visible will stand out since it does not match the color of the house.
The inverters will be located on the east side between the house and the cut of the mountain. A 6' metal screen will be placed in front of the inverters and painted to match the house. The new solar panels do not incr...
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