HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-05-10 PACKET 05.A. - Hope Glen Farm SolarMmCottage
Grove
here Pride and ?Vo5perity Meet
TO: Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation
FROM: Mike Mrosla, Senior Planner
DATE: May 10, 2022
RE: Hope Glen Farm Solar
Background/Proposal
Michael Bushilla (Applicant), the owner of Hope Glen Farm located at 10276 East Point Douglas
Road South, is proposing to install solar panels on an existing barn. Since the property is on the
City's Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks, the ACHP needs to review the request for a certif-
icate of appropriateness that would be issued in conjunction with an amendment to their existing
Historic Places Conditional Use Permit. However, before applying for an amended Conditional Use
Permit the Applicant has requested to present their proposal to the ACHP.
While reviewing the request at the meeting, the ACHP shall consider the following factors as out-
lined in City Code Title 9-9-6:
Whether the work will significantly alter the appearance of the building or structure so
as to remove the features which distinguish the historic site or landmark as a significant
cultural resource.
2. Whether the use of the property will destroy, disturb, or endanger a known or suspected
archaeological feature site.
In addition, City Code Title 9-9-6(F) states that Secretary of the Interior's "Standards and Guide-
lines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation" shall be the required basis for permit review
decisions. The Secretary of the Interior has provided guidance on how solar panels can be
integrated into a historical structure (Attachment A). In addition, the Secretary of the Interior has
a website to provide further information on the subject (the link is below):
Solar Panels on Historic Properties —Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service
ns.ov
Recommendation
The Applicant will be presenting his proposal to the ACHP. Following the presentation, the ACHP
shall make a recommendation.
Attachments
Interpreting The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation — Incorporating Solar Panels
in a Rehabilitation Project
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Technical Preservation Services }
Interpreting
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for
Rehabilitation
Subject: Incorporating Solar Panels in a Rehabilitation Project
Applicable Standards: 2. Retention of Historic Character
9. Compatible Additions/Exterior Alterations
Issue: Enhancing the energy efficiency of a historic building is important. To that end, it is often possible to install features
such as solar panels and photovoltaic cells provided they are installed in a sensitive manner. Because these elements must be
positioned to take advantage of unobstructed sunlight, the roof of a historic structure is an obvious location. The roofline of a
historic building is often a distinctive feature. Therefore, the installation of solar panels should conform to guidance regarding
rooftop additions, i.e. that they be minimally visible, to avoid altering the historic character of the building. Historic buildings
with a flat roof or parapet can usually accommodate solar panels because the panels will be hidden, while properties with
a hipped or gabled roof are generally not good candidates for a rooftop solar installation. Solar panels on historic buildings
should not be visible from the public right of way such as nearby streets, sidewalks or other public spaces.
In circumstances where solar collectors are not placed on rooftops, they should only be positioned in limited or no -visibility
locations in secondary areas of the property. Vegetation or a compatible screen may also be an option to further reduce the
impact of these features on a historic property. For some historic buildings, it may not be possible to incorporate solar panels
and meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
Application 1 (Compatible treatment): r solar panels
The rehabilitation of this mid -nineteenth
century mill incorporated a large, roof-
mounted photovoltaic installation.
Although the historic building does not
have a parapet wall at the roofline, the
height of the building and the arrangement
of the panels render the entire installation
invisible from the ground. It is important Because of the size of this historic mill, a large array of solar panels could be installed on
to note that the panels are placed the flat roof without being seen from the ground.
horizontally. Had the panels been installed
with a vertical tilt, the angle required to maximize efficiency would have caused the panels to extend significantly higher
above the roof. Simply changing the direction in which the panels are tilted can affect their visibility and reduce their impact
on the character of the historic property.
Solar panels installed on the flat roof.
By placing the panels horizontally, the overall height
of the installation and its visibility is reduced.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Application 2 (Incompatible treatment): During the rehabilitation of this late -nineteenth century commercial building, a
conspicuous rooftop monitor with prominent solar panels and skylights was constructed on the one-story structure. The size
and finish of this rooftop addition are incompatible with the historic character of the building. However, the building could
have accommodated both skylights and solar panels if they had been installed differently. An alternative design that could
have met the Standards would have included low -profile skylights and solar panels concealed behind the parapet wall.
The addition of a large rooftop monitor featuring skylights on the front slope and solar panels on the rear slope is not compatible with the
historic character of this small, one-story commercial building.
Application 3 (Compatible treatment): The rehabilitation of this historic
post office incorporated solar panels as dual -function features: generation
of electricity and shading for south -facing windows. In this instance, the
southern elevation of the building is also a secondary elevation with limited
visibility from the public right of way. Additionally, because this area of the
building is immediately next to the post office's loading dock, it has a more
utilitarian character than the primary facades and, therefore, can better
accommodate solar panels. Because the panels are in a suitable location at
the rear of the property and are appropriately sized to serve as awnings, they
do not affect the overall historic character of the property. Additionally, a
screen of tall plantings shields the solar panels from view from the front of
the building, further limiting their visibility.
Tall plantings shield solar panels from -
view from the front of the building.
Above: Shown from the rear of the property, these
solar panels serve a secondary function as awnings to
shade south facing windows. Because of their location
at the back of the building immediately adjacent to a
loading dock, the installation of these panels does not
affect the historic character of the property.
Left: The solar panels are not visible from the front of
the building. Additionally, even if the vegetation were
removed, the installation would only be minimally
visible along an alley at the rear of a secondary side
elevation.
Jenny Parker, Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service
These bulletins are issued to explain preservation project decisions made by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The resulting determinations, based on the
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. are not necessarily applicable beyond the unique facts and circumstances of each particular case.
August 2009, ITS Number 52