Lynn, MA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

The City of Lynn Zoning Ordinance's Section 8.H governs solar installations under the current ordinance, adopted by the City Council June 24, 2025. It applies to any use identified as requiring a site plan review or a special permit for ground mounted solar energy facilities; rooftop solar is called out separately as a by-right accessory use in most districts, so the permit track in Section 8.H targets ground-mounted arrays. Those arrays must still meet the district's normal dimensional standards, including impervious lot coverage and setbacks.

An applicant seeking Site Plan Review for a ground-mounted system must submit, beyond the standard Site Plan Review package, scaled drawings showing the system layout, shading, distances to property lines and structures, and collector height; documentation of the panels, mounting system and inverters; an electrical diagram showing Massachusetts Electric Code (527 CMR 12.00) compliant disconnects and overcurrent devices; an operation and maintenance plan; proof of liability insurance; and a decommissioning plan. Site Plan Review runs through the seven-member Site Plan Review Committee described in Section 11.E, whose review criteria include the adequacy of stormwater management systems.

Once built, the owner or operator must keep the facility in good condition, including painting, structural repairs and site access acceptable to the Building Commissioner, and any material modification made after the building permit issues needs Site Plan Review Authority approval. A system is deemed abandoned if it fails to operate for more than a year without the City Council's written approval; the owner then has 150 days to physically remove it and must request a City inspection within 10 days of completing removal.