[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson 7-13-2015 by L.L. No. 2-2015. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction and fire prevention — See Ch. 101.
Zoning — See Ch. 210.
A. 
Rooftop and building-mounted solar collectors and satellite dishes are permitted in all zoning districts in the Village, but only on rooftops and on buildings. Building permits are required, which shall be issued only after the completion of site plan review by the Planning Board, with the exception that site plan review nor a building permit is required for satellite dishes with a dish width of 60 inches or less.
B. 
As such, ground-mounted and freestanding solar collectors and satellite dishes are not permitted as accessory structures or in other locations others than as set forth in Subsection A above (all zoning districts of the Village).
A. 
Site plan review shall include the review of the adequacy, location, arrangement, size, design, and general site compatibility of proposed solar collectors. The following requirements shall also be adhered to:
(1) 
All nonresidential and non-mixed-use districts (includes: Waterfront, Industrial, Transportation Corridor and Conservation, Cemetery, Historic Overlay, Flood Hazard Overlay, Critical Environmental Overlay).
(a) 
As much as possible, all panels, tiles, or slates are to appear alike and are to match the color of the roof or wall to which they are attached or be the color black.
(b) 
Any equipment proposed as part of any new building or alteration to a building shall be installed as integrated equipment.
(c) 
On existing buildings with flat roofs where tilted frames are necessary to install primary equipment, such equipment shall not be visible from an abutting street or property. If necessary, the equipment shall be screened with appropriate material as approved by the Planning Board.
(d) 
On existing buildings with visible sloped roofs where all surrounding buildings are commercial, nonintegrated equipment or integrated equipment may be installed, but they shall be installed parallel to and directly against the existing sloping roof.
(e) 
Primary equipment mounted to an approved accessory structure shall be considered part of that structure and is subject to all the requirements of accessory structures set forth herein. Such equipment is also subject to approval by the Planning Board.
(f) 
All secondary equipment associated with any solar energy system installation shall not be exposed on the outside of any structure unless required by an applicable codes and standards.
(2) 
Residential (R) and Mixed-Use (MU) Districts.
(a) 
As much as possible, all panels, tiles or slates are to appear alike and are to match the color of the roof or wall to which they are attached or be the color black.
(b) 
Nonintegrated equipment added to an existing structure shall be installed parallel to and directly against the existing sloping roof and shall be located in an area of the roof that is not visible from an abutting or nearby street.
(c) 
Any primary equipment proposed as part of any new building or alteration to a building shall be installed as integrated primary equipment.
(d) 
Primary equipment mounted to an approved accessory structure shall be considered part of that structure and is subject to the requirements of accessory structures set forth herein. Such equipment is also subject to approval by the Planning Board.
(e) 
All secondary equipment associated with any solar energy system installation shall not be exposed on the outside of any structure unless required by an applicable codes and standards.
B. 
All solar energy systems shall be designed, erected and installed with all applicable codes and standards. All solar collector installations must be performed by a qualified solar installer, and prior to operation the electrical connections must be inspected by the Village and any appropriate electrical inspection agency as determined by the Village. In addition, any connection to the public utility grid must be inspected by the appropriate public utility.
C. 
When solar storage batteries are included as part of the solar collector system, they must be placed in a secure container or enclosure meeting the requirements of the New York State Building Code when in use and when no longer used shall be disposed of in accordance with the laws and regulations of Rensselaer County and other applicable laws and regulations.
D. 
Special restrictions and requirements for Historic Overlay districts.
(1) 
All satellite dishes affixed to a building must be installed to avoid damaging the structure. When affixed to a masonry structure, the satellite dish should be attached to mortar joints and not the brick or stone.
(2) 
No Planning Board review will be required for satellite dishes that are not visible from the street.
If a solar collector ceases to perform its originally intended function for more than 12 consecutive months, the property owner shall remove the collector, mount and associated equipment and facilities by no later than 90 days after the end of the twelve-month period.