BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Auburn residents and businesses will now have to contend with new rules governing solar systems after the Auburn City Council on Tuesday approved amendments to the city’s zoning ordinance.
Specifically, those amendments seek to establish solar energy systems as an accessory use and regulate their installation, create standards for road service and indoor recreational uses in the rural zoning district and provide residential use regulations governing the Neighborhood Conservation District.
Primary among those changes is a stipulation that prevents solar energy systems from being the primary use on any property not zoned industrial.
For single-family homes and multi-family residences, ground-mounted solar panels must be 17 square feet in size or smaller, and there cannot be more than one ground-mounted solar energy system placed on a lot or parcel.
Ground-mounted solar energy systems also cannot be located in the front of buildings, in a required setback or buffer area, or either exceed a height that is either equal to the distance from the system to the nearest property line or be taller than any other structure on the property.
Additionally, roof-mounted solar energy systems cannot be placed on roofs that face public streets.
For non-residential uses, roof-mounted solar energy systems cannot rise more than two feet above the visible roof line, and ground-mounted solar energy systems will not be permitted at all for non-residential uses.
During the public comment period, Auburn resident David Hamilton told councilors that they needed to consider every aspect of the proposed changes to ensure that the city does not stifle the generation of solar energy.
“I have a question for the council,” Hamilton said. “Do you think solar is going to become important to Auburn in the future in terms of providing power? Who thinks so? The levelized cost of energy from rooftop solar is at a point now where it’s crossing over the cost of utility energy prices. In terms of new capacity for energy provided to the United States, over 50 percent of new electrical capacity is solar. We are entering the solar future, and we need to be aware of that as a city.”
City manager Megan McGowen Crouch said that the update was a first step to give Auburn homeowners more uniform guidance on how they can approach installing solar systems on their property.
“One of our challenges is that we have a lot of cloud cover in Auburn that makes it harder [to generate solar electricity],” Crouch said. “There are solar farms, there are all kinds of other things. This is like the first shot across the bow. Most [homeowner associations] do not allow aspects of solar energy. And I’m not saying that the city agrees with that, and we do not regulate that, but we’re challenged by that with some of our subdivisions.”
In other news, the council addressed several other items of business:
- The council announced three vacancies on the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Those terms will begin on Jan. 21, 2026, and end on Jan. 20, 2029.
- The council authorized the purchase of Emergency Management and Communications-branded clothing items for the Public Safety Department.
- The council approved a traffic signal agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation as part of the North Donahue Widening Project. That agreement covers the modification, operation and maintenance of the existing traffic signal at the intersection of Shug Jordan Parkway and N. Donahue Drive.
- The council approved a $102,392 contract with Hyland Software to renew the city’s OnBase software subscription.
- The council approved a $74,448 contract with Roadway Management Technologies for a comprehensive roadway infrastructure condition assessment.
- The council approved a $55,584 contract with SHI International for Rubrik Cloud Direct Licensing True-up.
- The council approved a contract with the WDE Officials Association to provide officiating services for the Parks and Recreation winter basketball season.
- The council accepted public rights-of-way and public easements from Auburn Farms Holdings in the Auburn Farms Subdivision near Sarah Lane.
- The council accepted a public greenway easement from James Booth and Anna Champagne at 825 Lee Road 96.
- The council accepted public rights-of-way and public easements from FAB II and James Road at the Blakeney at Old Samford near Kennesaw Lane and Mrs. James Road.
- The council accepted public rights-of-way and public easements from Skinnypop28 at Slaughters Reserve near Slaughter Avenue and Jones Street.
- The council approved a $271,700 tax abatement for I-PEX USA Manufacturing. The company plans to hire seven new employees over the next two years and invest $2.95 million.
- The council approved a $562,304 contract with Kenworth of Montgomery to purchase two Grapple Lightning Loaders with Hardox bodies for the Environmental Services Department.
- The council approved a nearly $3.2 million contract with Schmidt Environmental Construction for various electrical, mechanical and structural improvements at the Graystone, Highlands, Choctafaula, Preserve, Stone Creek, Woodland Park 1 and Woodland Park 2 pump stations.
- The council approved a $4 million contract with The Spencer Family Exempt Trust to purchase 13.8 acres next to Duck Samford Park for additional youth baseball fields, practice facilities, parking and other infrastructure.
