During the public comment period of Monday night’s city council meeting, McFarland Clinic officials raised concerns about Marshalltown’s new ordinance regulating ground solar arrays. They requested a reconsideration of a provision that limits the height of these structures.
In recent months, the city council had already revised its original ordinance, which banned ground solar arrays on all land within city limits except for agricultural and industrial zones. The revision now allows these arrays on land zoned for Public Institutions, which includes medical facilities like McFarland Clinic and schools. Executive Director Deb Wollam spoke first, expressing gratitude to the council for expediting the process after McFarland’s project was stalled by a moratorium and the new ordinance passed last year.
“We appreciate the council’s support up to this point,” Wollam said. “We believe the delays were unintended consequences. Our purpose tonight is not to criticize the council or city staff. We simply want to inform you of the latest challenge we’re facing, which has delayed our project once again.”
Wollam stated that McFarland Clinic doesn’t believe it will be able to start construction as soon as the frost clears. She then handed the microphone to Ron Frantzen, Executive Director of Facilities Management, who explained the issue in more detail.
The current ordinance restricts the height of solar panels to six feet in accessory fields, a rule Frantzen argued is not practical for commercial operations.
“This restriction affects not only McFarland’s project but also any future solar projects for businesses, whether existing or new,” Frantzen said. “Our application will likely be denied due to the height limit. We’ve been advised to reduce the height of our panels to six feet or less. This reduction cuts the project’s return on investment to the point where it’s no longer viable. We’re looking at a $200,000 loss in cost savings each year. There is no cost-effective way to use double-stacked solar panels to maximize solar production per square foot with these height restrictions.”
Another proposal suggested placing panels less than 18 inches off the ground, a suggestion Frantzen believes would harm plant growth beneath the panels. He recalled previous discussions with former City Planner Hector Hernandez, who had indicated that the presented information did not create any code issues at the time. If he had known about the ordinance changes, Frantzen said he would have raised concerns about its practicality.
Frantzen emphasized that he is struggling to understand the current code and reiterated his worry that the restrictions would prevent the project from producing enough solar energy to be viable.
“We are here today to present a serious concern and ask the city council to take action,” he said. “The project has already been delayed since April 2024, and I’m also concerned for other commercial properties in the PI zone that may face the same delays. I care not only for McFarland Clinic but also for future businesses that want to install solar in Marshalltown. It should be something that the community welcomes.”
Since the comments were made during the public comment period, the mayor, council members, and city administrator could not respond or take immediate action.
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