Earlier this month the Plymouth Community School Corporation was granted a few variances of development standards for the installation of new solar arrays at Washington Discovery Academy and Riverside Intermediate School.
Dave School, Director of Facilities for the school corporation attended the meeting along with Dr. Bruce Breeden Vice-President of Telamon Energy Solutions appeared before the Plymouth Board of Zoning Appeals. The first variances to be considered were to permit medium solar arrays in residential zoning districts. Breeden said he was surprised the school buildings weren’t in an institutional zoned area instead of a residential zoning district.
After reviewing the projects, the Plymouth Plan Commission fully supported having the medium size solar arrays in a residential zoning district.
The other two variances granted will allow the school corporation to eliminate some of the greenery requirements on the north and east borders of the new solar array at Washington Discovery Academy. At Riverside Intermediate School the corporation was granted a variance to reduce the greenery requirements on the north side of the project and on the northeast and northwest side of the solar array. The corporation also wants to use some of the existing trees along the trail as part of the greenery requirements. Schoof did commit to working with the Plymouth Park Department to replace 2 to 3 hardwood trees on the east side of the solar array.
The greenery variances were both unanimously approved by the Plymouth Board of Zoning Appeals.
