Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance

Article 4: Use Standards Section 4.3. Accessory Uses and Structures 4.3.5. Accessory Use-Specific Standards

e. Blade Clearance The blade tip or vane of any small wind energy system shall have a minimum ground clearance of 15 feet, as measured at the lowest point of the arc of the blades. No blades may extend over parking areas, public right of ways, driveways, or sidewalks.

Lighting

f.

No illumination of the turbine or tower shall be allowed unless required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). g. Access to Tower On a freestanding tower, any climbing foot pegs or rungs below 12 feet shall be removed to prevent unauthorized climbing. For lattice or guyed towers, sheets of metal or wood or similar barriers shall be fastened to the bottom tower section such that it cannot readily be climbed. h. Signage Prohibited No wind generator, tower, building, or other structure associated with a small wind energy system shall include any signage visible from any public street other than the manufacturer’s or installer’s identification, appropriate warning signs, or owner identification. Utility Notification No small wind energy system intended to connect to the electric utility shall be installed until evidence has been submitted to the Town that the relevant electric utility company has been informed of the customer's intent to install an interconnected customer-owned generator. Abandonment On determining that a wind turbine has been inoperable for six consecutive months, the Planning Director shall send the property owner a notice and order requiring restoration of the system to operating order within three months after receiving the notice. If the owner fails to restore the system to operating condition within the three-month time frame, the owner shall be required, at the owner’s expense, to remove the wind turbine from the tower for safety reasons. If the owner fails to remove the wind turbine from the tower, the Town may pursue legal action to have the wind turbine removed at the owner’s expense, in accordance with Article 10: Enforcement. a. Location The system may be located on the roof of a principal or accessory structure, on the side of such structures, on a pole, or on the ground in accordance with the standards in Section 4.3.3.B, Location of Accessory Uses and Structures. b. Height (1) The system shall comply with the maximum height standards for the zoning district in which it is located, provided that a roof-mounted system shall not extend more than 15 feet above the roofline of the structure on which it is mounted. (2) Where an existing structure exceeds the applicable height limit, a solar energy collection system may be located on its roof irrespective of applicable height standards, provided the system extends no more than five feet above the roof surface. Solar Easements The property owner shall be responsible for negotiating with other property owners in the vicinity to establish any solar easement designed to protect solar access for the solar energy i. j. c.

27. Solar Energy Collection System (as an accessory use)

Morrisville, NC

October 1, 2021

Unified Development Ordinance

Page 4-49