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Solar arrays at Riverwalk Center a hot topic for community.
BRECKENRIDGE — The Breckenridge Town Council gave initial approval on a proposed set of solar panels to be located at the Riverwalk Center along Park Avenue in a 5-2 decision at Tuesday's work session.
The 18-foot arrays would save Breckenridge thousands of dollars a year on energy costs, but their potential visual impact on the historic town has raised concerns for many.
“We decided to move forward and send it to planning,” Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron said. “The savings are substantial and there's no outlying expense for the town. There is an aesthetic cost to these (solar panels), but beauty's in the eye of the beholder.”
The project — which would include the installation of 10 stand-alone solar arrays along the outside of the Riverwalk Center parking lot as well as several other locations around town — will be reviewed next by the Breckenridge planning commission. Bergeron said the aesthetics of the panels will be addressed during the planning process, and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the arrays before the proposal comes back to the town council for a final decision.
The proposed solar installations at the Riverwalk Center are expected to generate approximately 23 percent of the building's total power annually, saving the town an estimated $6,700 in energy costs in the first year and reducing the building's carbon output by about 83 metric tons annually.
But councilman Mark Burke, who opposed the arrays proposed for the Riverwalk Center, said the green initiative is not worth damaging the carefully preserved historic look of Breckenridge.
“I am a big supporter of solar panels, but I think the place needs to be appropriate,” Burke said. “Councils long before me have created codes to maintain the historic beauty of Breckenridge. Solar panels will never be historical.”
Reactions from the community have been mixed, but many in Breckenridge say they are opposed to the idea of having the arrays in the heart of downtown.
Peyton Rogers, who works for Great Western Lodging in Breckenridge, said she often suggests the Riverwalk Center as a scenic location for weddings and events to her guests. She said the panels would ruin the vistas from the lawn — where her own wedding photos were taken.
“I just think the town should hold off at this point,” Rogers said. “Instead of possibly deterring guests and visitors from going in to use the Riverwalk Center because of the aesthetically unpleasant look of it.”
The 18-foot arrays would save Breckenridge thousands of dollars a year on energy costs, but their potential visual impact on the historic town has raised concerns for many.
“We decided to move forward and send it to planning,” Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron said. “The savings are substantial and there's no outlying expense for the town. There is an aesthetic cost to these (solar panels), but beauty's in the eye of the beholder.”
The project — which would include the installation of 10 stand-alone solar arrays along the outside of the Riverwalk Center parking lot as well as several other locations around town — will be reviewed next by the Breckenridge planning commission. Bergeron said the aesthetics of the panels will be addressed during the planning process, and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the arrays before the proposal comes back to the town council for a final decision.
The proposed solar installations at the Riverwalk Center are expected to generate approximately 23 percent of the building's total power annually, saving the town an estimated $6,700 in energy costs in the first year and reducing the building's carbon output by about 83 metric tons annually.
But councilman Mark Burke, who opposed the arrays proposed for the Riverwalk Center, said the green initiative is not worth damaging the carefully preserved historic look of Breckenridge.
“I am a big supporter of solar panels, but I think the place needs to be appropriate,” Burke said. “Councils long before me have created codes to maintain the historic beauty of Breckenridge. Solar panels will never be historical.”
Reactions from the community have been mixed, but many in Breckenridge say they are opposed to the idea of having the arrays in the heart of downtown.
Peyton Rogers, who works for Great Western Lodging in Breckenridge, said she often suggests the Riverwalk Center as a scenic location for weddings and events to her guests. She said the panels would ruin the vistas from the lawn — where her own wedding photos were taken.
“I just think the town should hold off at this point,” Rogers said. “Instead of possibly deterring guests and visitors from going in to use the Riverwalk Center because of the aesthetically unpleasant look of it.”
