Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

This is a zoning board of appeal.

We'll meet tonight at City Hall 155 Deer Hill Avenue, City Council Chambers.

Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, 7 p.m.

Roll call.

Mr.

Williamson.

Present.

Mr.

William.

Present.

Mr.

Delusia.

Present.

Mr.

Reeves.

Present.

Joe Hannah, Chairman of the Board.

Can I have a motion to accept the minute from April 9, 2026?

I make a motion to approve the minutes of the April 9th as presented.

Motion made by Mr.

William.

Second.

Seconded by Mr.

Delusia.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

The next regular meeting is May 14, 2026.

And now we go to the public hearing.

Application number 26-07.

And that's the implication 26-01, 8 South Cornell to be continued.

Okay.

Have a motion to hear 26-07.

Mr.

Chairman, I like to make a motion to applic open application.

26-0765 road for public hearing.

Motion made by Mr.

Rivas.

Second.

Seconded by Mr.

Delusia.

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

All right.

So the applicant, can we hear the applicant for tell us what's your story is.

Yep.

My name is Nate Romanas with uh Sunrise Solar Consulting.

I'm working for uh the developer ELC on this project and for the owners at Portuguese Portuguese Cultural Center.

Um so today we're we're applying for uh or we're in the midst of applying for a variance of the maximum height of a solar carport structure.

Uh there's three structures that we're proposing in the in the parking lot of the property.

Um basically we're we're applying from a 15-foot maximum height to 23.6 feet uh for a few different reasons.

So the first and foremost being uh just safety with clearance height underneath the car ports.

We typically use a 13 and a half foot or 14 foot clearance for all vehicles to be able to get underneath.

Plowing, uh fire engines, fire apparatus, the IFC's regulation is 13 and a half feet for vertical clearance.

So that's you know that's the meat of where we're coming from.

We don't want anybody to get stuck under there.

We don't want it to be an issue with with any vehicles coming onto the property and having height clearance issue, which could potentially you know damage the carport, cause a safety hazard or risk for you know the obvious of running into this thing and something may happen.

Um there's some little nuances to you know other reasons why we keep it that high, and we keep the tilt on it with efficiency of the panels and drainage and snow and ice removal uh or shedding.

So that's kind of the majority of what we're looking at.

Safety, clearance height, emergency vehicles is number one, uh ADA compliance.

If you know there's a lot of people coming in and out of this this property for events and different things, so that clearance is just to make sure everything can get underneath.

There's no question uh of what vehicle or what what make and model or whatever it may be.

You need the height for safety reason.

Excuse me.

You need the height for safety reason?

Correct.

Uh anyone have a question from the board.

Just what just one question.

Um this is our very first solar panel uh carport in here, so at least for me anyway.

So just to get a little familiarity.

Um does it have auxiliary power, like in other words, when there's an ice buildup or or snow buildup on it to help lessen the load.

I saw the dimensions.

It's almost like a uh size of a she rock, four little over under four feet.

The panels themselves.

By eight, almost eight feet.

A little smaller, but yes, yeah.

So I don't see a sudden drop at that 22 and a half percent.

I think that you're proposing.

But uh, how does it work though?

Does it have any auxiliary power to melt some of the snow off gradually?

So you can obviously you know get uh optimize the power from the sun.

Yeah, no, it does not.

Um what we see with like minimal snowfall, uh, the panels will still get light from the sun and UV rays.

So the snow being porous, it still gets some collection uh of the exposure and they start to warm up a little bit on their own.

Okay.

And what you'll see is you'll see snow and ice shedding from and really light snow like that, shedding from solar structures or solar roofs quicker than just asphalt shingles, because some of that UV does make it through.

Those panels will turn on potentially with an inch or two of snow on them.

They won't do much, but they'll turn on just enough to get everything moving and they warm up a little bit.

But there's no auxiliary uh, you know, power mechanism to to shed everything.

But it's part of why we want the tilt that we have is to keep a nice little slope on there so everything can run and drain off.

Um, you know, to to bring it down and keep as much clearance as we want, or as much clearance as we could get with a lesser tilt, we see more buildup on the roof.

You know, potentially stuff building up sitting there, ice and snow build up, potential sag in the panels, which could damage them over time, potentially.

Um, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

That's good.

Thank you.

No the question.

I got a question.

Sure.

I mean, it's environmentality is great having solar.

I have solar in my house too.

My question is having that angle, will all that snow accumulate?

Would that create a safety problem?

So we are going to put snow guards on the on the structure just for safety precaution.

But uh what we'll see is we'll build up, but then we want it we want it to fall off.

We want the system to turn on and heat up, which will help mitigate that that build-up down at the lower edge.

Because yeah, being being a public facility like this, we can't have everything fall off.

And you know, you might have seen this at your house where everything cascades off at one time at some point.

Um I I have a question.

Sure.

So you you mentioned 13.6 was the minimum um clearance site.

Clearance or originally.

So without this, without this um variance, would you still be able to install the car ports with the solar panels just with without the requested clearance for emergency vehicles?

Uh we would not.

We'd be a little under that.

I mean, we do 14-foot vertical clearance just to give a little buffer between the 13.6 uh IFC regulation height of the emergency apparatus, but we if we lower the tilt and do some changes that the carport manufacturer can do without significantly changing the system, we can't get to 13.6.

We end up somewhere just below 12 feet.

Okay.

Thank you.

And is uh my question is I'm looking at the uh plans that you submitted.

Each panel uh weighs about 72.9 pounds with uh all three arrays.

What type of weight are we uh are uh are these arrays accumulating with just the panels themselves?

And are what is the these systems rated for as far as maximum weight capacity?

So you're interested in the the whole weight of the system on the on the structure?

Yes.

I don't know that number off the top of my head.

Uh I didn't bring that particular spec with me here.

But um it's really I mean, we have a lot of structural steel up there, there's purlins up there, and there's a system to mount the panels.

Um but what we have in in total is with the whole system erected and obviously structurally sound uh to carry itself and withstand wind loading and snow loading.

We we estimate uh it's either 30 or 35, I believe it's 30 for your for this area, 30 pounds per square foot for the snow load in the winter.

Um that would be the max weight, uh you know, dead load coming down onto the system.

Um as far as the weight of the system itself, I I don't have that number here with me.

But we have the the stamp calculations from the solar uh carport manufacturer that runs all the calcs and all the structural, all the structural numbers.

Okay.

And then uh through the chair to Sean, uh just a quick question.

If this was to be approved uh when it comes to concerns of uh weight capacity and the structure being, you know, um structurally sound as far as that this will if it if it's if it is approved, it will go through the building department uh per uh for inspections, or is that something that we should address here now as of the board?

No, that would be covered during the permit process.

So they'll be spending in their engineered plans, snow loads, wind loads, all that stuff will be taken in consideration during the building permit process.

So you should be covered.

Okay, Sean.

I'll make I'll make one more comment on that too.

Um we've already done which is which has been been and will be supplied um to the building department, uh geotechnical engineering of the soil and the the uh the compaction, not compaction rates, but the material that's down there too.

They do some boring holes down to see what kind of material we're working with in the ground to size the foundations properly for the whole structure to be structural sound with the steel and the footings and the foundations and as a whole package.

I appreciate it.

My my only concern would have been is just that if it's safely if it's safe to do so, uh you know installing this and you know the safety and welfare of the the people in the in the surrounding area.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Okay.

I believe George would like to come up as well if there's no other questions.

Oh, okay.

Uh you're done now with your case.

Yeah, unless you have any other questions.

So I I need to ask who is in opposition who is in favor.

So if you are falling into that, I need to ask first, okay, for the record.

I think Melissa is saying that he's speaking on behalf of ownership.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

George Sousa.

I'm not the owner of the Portuguese cultural center, but I am the volunteer director there.

I thought you were the president, no?

Yeah, there's almost owned.

I do whatever they ask me to do over there.

Call me president, that's okay.

I just volunteer my time.

So the reason I wanted to speak to you, first, thank you for obviously coming out.

And uh this project is it's one of those projects at the center that we're looking for longevity to be able to keep up the place functioning.

All these nonprofits struggle daily, so we figure this solar project could really help us tremendously.

We currently have a electric bill of $8,000 a month, and we're down to about three hundred members, paid members for the year.

So we're looking for projects that we can make the facilities self-sustainable.

And uh the reason for the variance, the height, uh we had a concern.

We have events in the hall that we have about 550 people, 600, and if we don't have the height uh that from any angle, any emergency vehicle can get in, just leaving the outers of the parking lot available for those emergency vehicles could be a concern for us.

So I ask you to please consider a variance and uh let us move the project forward.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chairman, I just have one follow-up question for Nathan that just came to mind.

Yep.

Is this eliminating any parking spots for the uh uh for the arrays?

Uh it's not a limiting any eliminating any parking spots.

Uh there will be you know where the foundations are, there will be a little encroachment of that foundation into some parking spaces, but they're still usable.

Okay.

Thank you.

I have one question too.

Sure.

If I still may.

Is there a a reason the solar panels can't be put on the roof of the existing structure?

Uh we can't get we're sizing the system to the usage and and to the uh target goal, you know, of this project for their electric bill.

So we we can't fit nearly that much on the roof.

Um and with the roof orientation of the building.

We can't take this up the ECU that's on it.

Yeah.

So there's no square footage.

Yeah, there's there's very little square footage.

This the standing scene roof up there too gives us a couple little little pieces, but a fraction of what we're looking at here.

All right, thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any more questions?

Okay.

We have a motion to close it.

No, you guys.

There's nobody there.

Yeah, I know.

Anyone in support this application?

Anyone in support.

Anyone on opposition to this application?

Anyone in opposition?

Everyone happy.

So go ahead.

I'll let the new guys make the motions tonight.

To close the hearing?

Sure.

No.

I make a motion to close the public hearing for application number 26-07.

65 Sandbridge Road.

Motion made by Mr.

William.

Second.

Seconded by Mr.

Williamson.

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Now a motion to open for discussion and vote.

I make a motion to open application.

Number 26-0765 Sandit Road for voting session and discussion.

Motion made by Mr.

William.

Second.

Seconded by Mr.

Williamson.

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

I make a motion.

I make a motion to approve 26-0765 Sample Hill Road.

Romanus Nathan, K111149, IL40 zone, Section 3G 12.

3.6 inches for installation of solar array carp work per plan submitted.

Okay, go ahead.

Okay.

I feel this variance does not adversely affect the public health safety and welfare.

And nor was it created by the applicant.

Motion made by Mr.

Delusia.

I second it.

Seconded by Mr.

William.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

So approved.

Okay.

2601.

Thank you.

2601 Cornell Road is to be continued.

No new business, non correspondence, other matters, election of officers.

We need to continue motion.

I'll make a motion to continue application 26-018 South Cornell Road until the right next regularly scheduled meeting.

I second it.

Motion made by Mr.

Williamson, seconded by Mr.

William.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Does the continuation have to be done all the time?

We have to make motion for it.

Yeah, I thought we was continued.

I thought that if it was continued, we didn't have to re make a motion again.

Like if you made a motion in the beginning to continue that.

Okay.

All right.

Yep.

Okay.

Okay.

Now we make election.

Before adjourn.

Right?

Yes.

Okay.

And I uh said this is my last meeting.

I'm gonna miss you guys.

Very uh dearly, but I think I put enough time here in this board.

I enjoy every bit of it.

And now it's time to move uh to move on.

So I'll just say before you continue, Chairman, and I wasn't here present for the uh meeting virtually, but um you know I uh want to thank you for all your years of service to the board.

Thank you for welcoming me, welcoming me back in 2019 uh to the board and uh guiding me and helping me throughout the board in all the years.

Um you're gonna be sorely missed, and now you leave me here as the old man on the board.

Uh there you know, the rest of the commissioners here to continue the good work of the ZBA.

Thank you for all your years of service.

Thank you.

Yeah, well done, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Yeah, excellent job, Joe, over the years, 25 years.

That's just unbelievable.

I think I'm leaving the board in good hands, so I um would like to nominate Mr.

Reeves for chairman of the board.

I second it.

We uh Mr.

We're gonna take a vote.

So Mr.

Williamson?

Yay.

Mr.

William, seconded.

Mr.

Delucia.

Are you voting for yourself?

Yay.

Okay.

And for the for the vice chairs.

I nominate Mr.

Delucia.

If you like to maybe next time.

Maybe there is no next time.

You don't want it?

Mr.

Chairman.

Oh, go ahead, Pete.

Um, thank you so much.

It's it is an honor.

Um, and just serving and being on the team to me is you know uh hey, you don't want it if I feel comfortable, whatever you like to do.

You know, no understanding.

Mr.

Chairman, I I would like to make a uh a uh nomination for vice chair.

I would like to nominate Mr.

Williamson for vice chair.

I second so Mr.

William.

We're gonna take a vote.

Nomination for Mr.

Williamson.

I second.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, I say yes.

Congratulations for the new chairman and the vice chairman.

Thank you, and good luck to you guys, Mr.

Chairman.

So I want to say uh proclamation from the mayor's office.

All right.

I'd like to uh read into the record from the uh mayor's office, his uh mayor's citation awarded to Joseph Hannah.

This mayor's citation is awarded to Joseph Hannah for over 20 years of service to the city of Danbury on the zoning board of appeals.

The mayor and the residents of Danbury share in the recognition and celebration of Joseph Hanna.

We thank him for his service to the community and for his leadership as chairman of the board.

Signed the this 23rd day of April 2026 in the City Hall, Danbury, Connecticut.

Roberto L.

Alves, Mayor.

Wow.

Very official.

Thank you.

You want me to read that or you want to read it?

You want to read it?

You want me to read it?

All right.

Another one?

All right.

Yes, we got more.

Uh there was this is uh from the Connecticut General Assembly uh citation.

Say the Connecticut General Assembly official citation introduced by Representative Farley Santos of the 109th District, Senator Julie Kushner of the 24th District, Representative Bob Goffrey of the 110th District, uh Representative Robbie uh Ali Brennan from the 2nd District, Representative Patrick C.

Callahan from the 108th district, and Representative Ken Gucker from the 138th district.

Be it here being uh be it hereby known to all that the Connecticut General Assembly hereby offers its sincerest congratulations to Joseph Hanna and recognition your dedicated service to the Danbury Zoning Board of Appeals as a member for over 23 years.

You have displayed pride in your work and devotion to the city of Danbury.

We thank you for your diligence and dedication and service to our city.

The entire membership extends its very best wishes on this memorable occasion and expresses the hope for continued success given this 23rd day of April 2026 in the State Capitol, Hartford, Connecticut, by President Pro Temp Martin M.

Looney, Speaker of the House, Matt Ritter, and the Secretary of the State.

I don't know.

This is a big scribble, so I apologize to the Secretary of State.

Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

All right.

Motion made by Mr.

William.

Second.

Seconded by Mr.

Delucio.

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.