20.3.QQQ District Energy Systems

1. Facilities and all associated equipment shall be approved by the Council Utility Regulatory Office, or any applicable succeeding entity.
2. Development plan and design review is required for the use.  District Energy System facilities located in a HI Heavy Industrial District, LI Light Industrial District, MI Maritime Industrial District are exempt from this requirement.
3. Facilities shall generally be within enclosed structures.  Outdoor equipment, other than roof mounted equipment, shall be surrounded by masonry walls and parapets at least as high as the equipment.  Roof mounted equipment shall be screened by a parapet to limit noise from the equipment and its visibility from the street.  Landscaping shall be installed along street frontages with no doors and windows.  Structures must comply with the bulk and area regulations of the underlying zoning district regulations.  If the facility is enclosed by a structure with a separate use, such as parking garage, that structure must comply with all design and use standards relevant to that use.
4. District Energy Systems which are powered by coal-fired furnaces or fossil fuels, with the exception of natural gas, as the primary on-site energy source are prohibited.  The prohibition shall not include District Energy Systems primarily powered from the municipal energy grid, regardless of the grid's energy sources.

Ord. 28,322 MCS, §5, February 28, 2020, Zoning Docket 117-19