Village of Poquott Approves Six-Month Ban on Some Renewable Energy Devices

Poquott's village board voted unanimously on Thursday to enact a six-month moratorium on the installation of certain types of solar and wind energy devices at homes within the village.

The moratorium temporarily prohibits wind turbines and freestanding solar panels not attached to the roof of a home. Additionally, the act mandates that a solar panel attached to the roof of a home may not be elevated more than three feet from its point of attachment and that the total height of a home with raised solar panels must not exceed village building code requirements.

Mayor Barbara Donovan said the moratorium will provide the village board with time to update its building codes to include regulations on renewable energy equipment.

"It's just temporary," she said. "It gives the board an opportunity to review other villages, the town, the county, to see what they're doing."

The moratorium, which took three months to put together, was developed in response to complaints about some homeowners' recent installations of large, freestanding solar panels.

A similar measure was proposed earlier this year in the Village of Old Field, but the Suffolk County Planning Commission struck it down. The same commission reviewed Poquott's proposal but opted to not make a judgment, thus giving the village a green light to pass it.

Donovan said the moratorium is not meant to discourage residents from exploring renewable energy options for their homes.

"Green is new," she said. "I think it's great, but there has to be control in there. You have to think about your neighbor, and about property values."