Danbury zoning board approves tree‑removal variance to accommodate solar carport at 65 Sandpit Road

The Danbury Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a variance July 9 that allows the removal of certain parking‑island trees at 65 Sandpit Road to accommodate a solar carport and meet fire‑safety clearances.

Douglas McLaughlin, representing ELC Energy Solutions, told the board the site has eight parking‑lot islands each originally planted with two Bradford pear trees and that "the growth of these trees will significantly impact the production of the solar arrays and present a potential safety risk when growing underneath and around solar arrays and carports." He said the applicant proposes removing both trees from four islands, pruning trees on two islands and keeping eight trees total across the site, with groundcover planted on islands where trees are removed.

The request seeks relief from zoning section 8 c 3 b 1, which requires at least one tree of a specified diameter on each parking‑lot island. A staff member told the board the requirement had been overlooked when the array was approved earlier and that the fire marshal flagged trees that were too close to the panels; staff also said the fire code requires a 10‑foot clear perimeter around solar arrays. The board accepted the applicant's plan as a way to preserve screening on part of the lot while reducing shading and meeting the fire marshal's radius requirement.

Board members asked which specific islands would be cleared and whether shrubs would be used on islands without trees; McLaughlin said technical specifics are held by the design engineer, but he listed juniper, mondo grass and pachysandra as proposed groundcover. The board closed the public hearing and voted by voice to approve the variance as presented.

The motion was approved unanimously. The board listed no additional conditions in the public record. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 23.