Label
SUP Standalone Solar Field
627 Lotus
Title
Granting a Special Use Permit for a Standalone Solar Field for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio; subject to certain conditions and one waiver; and declaring an emergency.
Body
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
By application (SUP26-0003) filed with the City of Toledo Central Permit Center, a request for a Special Use Permit for a Standalone Solar Field for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio; was submitted to the Toledo City Plan Commission for its review and recommendation.
On April 9, 2026, the Toledo City Plan Commission recommended approval for the request for granting a Special Use Permit for a Standalone Solar Field for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio.
On May 20, 2026, the Toledo City Council Zoning and Planning Committee sent without recommendation the request for granting a Special Use Permit for a Standalone Solar Field for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio.
Summary
NOW THEREFORE Be it ordained by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1. That granting a Special Use Permit for a Standalone Solar Field for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, be and the same is hereby approved, subject to the conditions contained in Section 2 hereof which must be complied with, as to the property more fully described as follows:
Situated in the City of Toledo, County of Lucas and the State of Ohio and being a part of part of Lots 8 and 9 of River Tract 7 in the United States Reserve of 12 Miles Square at the Foot of the Rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie and being Lots 65 thru 72, inclusive, in the Shaw and Wells Subdivision as recorded in Volume 3, Page 26 of Lucas County Map Records and being Lots 79 thru 90, inclusive, in the Shaw and Wells Second Subdivision as recorded in Volume 3, Page 30 of Lucas County Map Records and being now or formerly owned by the City of Toledo as recorded in Official Record 96-665C10 of Lucas County Deed Records and being Parcel Numbers 1412237, 1412254, 1412261, 1411844, and 1872887 and being more fully bounded and described as follows:
Beginning at a 5/8-inch iron pin set at the Northwesterly corner of said Lot 90, said point being on the Southerly line of the Norfolk Southern Railway and the Northeasterly corner of land now or formerly owned by Waterworks Place, LLC by Instrument Number 20110404-0013302 of Lucas County Deed Records, and being the Principal Place of Beginning of the Site herein described;
Course No. 1: Thence North 76⁰04’56” East along said Southerly line of said Norfolk Southern Railway, a distance of 1,399.15 feet to a 5/8-inch iron pin set at the Northeasterly corner of said Lot 72 and being the Northwesterly corner of lands now or formerly owned by Riverboat West LLC, as recorded in Instrument Number 20230424-0012488 of Lucas County Deed Records;
Course No. 2: Thence South 00⁰56’06” West along the Westerly line of said Riverboat West LLC, passing over a 5/8” iron pin with a cap “PS 7973” found at 58.78 feet thereon, and passing over an iron pipe found at 266.31 feet, a total distance of 498.85 feet to a point on the Harbor Line of the Maumee River, as established by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and approved by the Assistant Secretary of War on April 17, 1917;
Course No. 3: Thence South 76⁰15’25” West along said Harbor Line, a distance of 1,397.74 feet to a point at the Southeasterly corner of said Waterworks Place land;
Course No. 4: Thence North 00⁰54’10” East along the Easterly line of said Waterworks Place land, a distance of 494.37 feet to the place of beginning and containing 15.4177 acres, 671,597 square feet, of land according to a survey prepared by John H. Crawford, PS No. 7826 of Verdantas, LLC in July 2025 and being subject to all legal highways and easements.
Bearings are based on Grid North, Ohio State Plane North (Zone 3401) and the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83, 2011 adj.) from GNSS Observations utilizing the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Continuously Operating Reference Stations.
All iron pins set are 5/8-inch diameter by 30-inchs in length and are capped “Verdantas”.
This perimeter description is not intended to be for recording purposes in the transfer of real property.
SECTION 2. That the approval of the granting of a Special Use Permit for A Standalone Solar Field for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, be subject to compliance with the twenty-five (25) conditions as follows:
The following twenty-five (25) conditions listed by agency of origin. Applicants are encouraged to contact each of the agencies to address compliance with their conditions:
Division of Engineering Services
1. Stormwater planning is sufficient for the site plan, but construction pollution prevention planning will require some revision and final approval for construction. A SWP3 submittal and approval is required for projects over 2,500 square feet of construction activity. A submittal coversheet has been provided to the designer. The total disturbance of the project would not just be the footprint of the mounting structure and would also include the remainder of the area that will be disturbed by construction activities, including construction traffic. If any of the site is to experience heavy construction traffic from equipment and will disturb the earth, that would need to be accounted for in the calculation of the total disturbed area. The entire project including the electrical transmission work will need tallied, and if greater than an acre, an NOI will also be need to be submitted and authorized by OEPA
Fire Prevention Bureau
2. The proposed new solar field will require compliance with all applicable Building, Fire, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing code requirements. (OBC 105.1 & 101.4)
3. A Fire Hydrant may be required to be placed on site. (OFC 507.1 and 507.5.1, TMC 1511.03, Rule 5, #1).
4. Security gates are not shown around the solar field. Does this need to be secured? Security gate at the drive entrance on Edwin Dr. shall have an approved means of emergency operations. A Knox padlock is acceptable. (OFC 506.1)
5. The access road for the fire department shall be designed and maintained to support loads of fire apparatus and shall be surfaced so as to provide all-weather driving capabilities. (OFC 503.2.3)
6. Signage will need to be added on the entrance gate at Edwin Dr. showing the solar field address.
Division of Environmental Services
7. Applicant shall maintain compliance with the City of Toledo’s Storm Water regulations as specified in the Toledo Municipal Code. Special attention must be paid to all potential storm water impacts from the modification of the site, including but not limited to long-term operation and maintenance of existing structural and non-structural Best Management Practices.
8. Applicant shall maintain compliance with Ohio EPA’s General Storm Water NPDES permit programs.
9. Applicant is strongly encouraged to include multiple green infra-structure measures to minimize runoff and increase infiltration, and to minimize the amount of new and/or additional impervious surface on the site.
10. Applicant is strongly encouraged to plant native, low maintenance and non-invasive trees, shrubs and perennials. Information is at https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/invasive-plants; a list of invasive plants and alternative species can be downloaded from <https://www.oipc.info/uploads/5/8/6/5/58652481/alternatives_to_ohio_invasive_plant_species.pdf>.
11. Applicant shall maintain compliance with the City of Toledo and the State of Ohio’s Air Quality Regulations applicable in the Toledo Municipal Code and the Ohio Administrative Code including, but not limited to the Asbestos and the Anti-Noise Laws.
Division of Sewer and Drainage Services
12. S&DS requires that all existing private sewer lines that are not being removed or properly abandoned (both storm & sanitary) be cleaned and inspected.
13. S&DS requires that the existing private sanitary lines (after they have been cleaned) that are not being removed or properly abandoned be televised from the building (or private cleanout) to where they connect with the public sewer system if this has not been done in the past (2) two years. An electronic copy (DVD/memory stick) shall be provided to S&DS demonstrating the lines cleaning and integrity.
Division of Traffic Management
14. Add a paved area for parking.
Plan Commission
15. The applicant shall maintain the solar energy facility and all appurtenances in good and working condition for the life of the facility.
16. The applicant shall adequately decommission the solar energy facility when it is abandoned or no longer in service. This includes but is not limited to closing the facility, removing the equipment and restoring the property to its predevelopment condition.
17. An executed lease agreement with the City of Toledo shall be submitted to the Plan Director.
18. An easement of access, for access to the proposed site from an improved public street shall be submitted to the Plan Director.
19. Off-street parking and loading spaces, parking lots, maneuvering areas, aisles and driveways must be surfaced with concrete, bituminous asphalt, or other dust-free material other than gravel or loose fill, and be graded to drain all surface water towards the interior of the parking lot. Not acceptable as submitted. Applicant shall obtain a waiver to TMC§1107.1906, so that the access road and internal access drives do not have to be surfaced with concrete, asphalt or other dust-free material.
20. Applicant shall submit any necessary permits to allow development within the floodway or any special flood hazard areas to the Floodplain Administrator within the City of Toledo’s Division of Building Inspection as applicable.
21. A revised site plan including a detailed site lighting and fencing plan shall be submitted to the Plan Director for review and approval. Such plan shall include:
a. The final layout of the solar field including all required equipment and infrastructure.
b. On-site parking and maneuvering areas required for the solar field.
c. The location, height and materials for any fencing to be installed and maintained. Any proposed fencing shall meet TMC§1105.0300 and a fence permit application shall be submitted and approved prior to installation.
d. The location, lighting, and size of any signs. Any proposed signage for the site shall be meet the requirements of TMC§1113.0000. A sign permit application shall be submitted and approved for all signage.
e. The location, height and type of any lights and light fixtures. Lights and light fixtures must be selected and arranged to direct and reflect the light away from any adjacent property and public ways, and away from the sky above per TMC§1107.1908.
22. No permits shall be issued until arrangements satisfactory to the Director of the City of Toledo Plan Commission have been made for compliance with the conditions as set forth above.
23. The Special Use Permit may be reviewed for compliance with the conditions of approval, negative secondary effects, and adherence to all requirements of the Toledo Municipal Code. If outstanding issues are found and not addressed the Special Use Permit may be considered for revocation.
24. Minor adjustments to the Site Plan that do not violate the above conditions, or the Toledo Municipal Code, may be reviewed and approved by the Director of the Toledo City Plan Commission.
25. Approval of the Special Use Permit will lapse after one (1) year if the criteria listed in TMC§1111.0707(A) have not been met.
SECTION 3. Waiving Section 1107.1906 of the Toledo Municipal Code for the zoning maps attached to Part 11, Planning and Zoning, Toledo Municipal Code, for the property located at 627 Lotus Avenue, in the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio.
Chapter 1107 Parking, Loading, and Access
Section 1107.1906 Surfacing and Drainage
Approve a waiver so that the proposed access road and interior site drives for the solar energy facility do not have to be surfaced with concrete, asphalt or other dust-free material. Staff is in support of the waiver since the access road and interior site drives will have minimal use once the facility is constructed. Staff is supportive of this waiver provided the access road and interior site drives are designed, maintained, and supports all-weather driving capabilities as required by the Fire Prevention Bureau.
SECTION 4. That when the conditions contained herein above have been complied with, the Secretary of the Toledo City Plan Commission be and he is hereby directed to change the zoning maps to conform with the within Ordinance.
SECTION 5. That this Ordinance hereby is declared to be an emergency measure and shall be in force and effect from and after its passage. The reason for the emergency lies in the fact that same is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety and property, and for the further reason that the Ordinance must be immediately effective in order to provide for the orderly regulation and use of the property and to protect the land value in the area.
Vote on emergency clause: yeas 10 nays 0.
Passed: June 9, 2026, as an emergency measure: yeas 10, nays 0.
Attest:
Julie A. Gibbons Vanice S. Williams
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: June 9, 2026
Wade Kapszukiewicz
Mayor