The Auburn City Council on Dec. 2 opened a public hearing on Ordinance 9A, a set of zoning text amendments that would add definitions and use regulations for solar energy systems and clarify residential use rules in the NC-40 district.

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the package, but David Hamilton, a resident who said he lives on Longwood Drive, told the council the solar provisions are incomplete and too restrictive. "We are entering the solar future, and we need to be aware of that as a city," Hamilton said, urging the council to include building-integrated photovoltaics and battery energy storage systems in the ordinance and to spell out decommissioning and site-restoration standards.

Planning Director Justice said the draft is intended as a starting point: "We really haven't had a lot of people clamoring for this," he told the council, describing the proposal as a "baseline" that provides a clear pathway for the few existing residential and accessory industrial requests while leaving room to expand standards if demand increases. Staff emphasized the ordinance focuses on accessory uses rather than allowing large solar farms as a primary use in most zones.

Councilmembers debated whether to separate the solar provisions from the rest of the ordinance so non-solar edits could move forward. One member proposed postponing further action until Dec. 16 to allow staff and the Planning Commission to consider Hamilton's recommendations. Mayor (Speaker 1) thanked Hamilton for submitting written suggestions and said the council values constructive input.

The council did not adopt the ordinance on first reading that night; members discussed procedural options including dividing the question so other components could advance while staff revisits the solar language. The item will return to the council for further consideration.