Arendtsville Borough and Butler Township, Adams County

"Screening shall be designed in accordance with the following standards. (a) Plant screening shall be installed around the entire perimeter of the Solar Farm installation except where the Zoning Officer determines that the retention of existing trees and other plants within the plant screening area constitutes an equal or superior Screening versus what would be provided through new Screening. (a) Plant screening shall be designed to emulate the mix of species and appearance of existing tree lines, hedge rows, and wooded areas already in existence within the landscape where the SEF is proposed. The applicant shall, as a component of the Buffer Yard Plan, assess the species mix and characteristics found in existing tree lines, hedge rows, and wooded areas surrounding the Solar Farm and document that the plant screening is designed to emulate these characteristics. (b) The primary use of evergreen trees shall not be permitted, and a monotonous straight row of the same species, particularly evergreen trees, is specifically prohibited. (c) Earth berms shall not be used as an additional or alternative method to provide screening of the Solar Farm facility. The plant screening area shall retain the topographic characteristics of the setting."