Setback
Gridlync land and infrastructure glossary.
A setback is the minimum required distance between a structure or activity and a property line, road, or sensitive feature. Setbacks are defined by zoning, regulation, or agreement and affect how land can be used. They may be measured from property lines, public roads, occupied dwellings, or environmental features, and renewable projects often face wind- or solar-specific setbacks set by county ordinance. They directly shape how much of a parcel can actually be built on.
Setback and buffer requirements often appear in land agreements and permits. Gridlync keeps the governing documents organized per site.
Example
Clearview Wind must place each turbine at least 1,500 feet from any home under the county ordinance, so even though the Lambert farm spans 900 acres, the setback from a neighbor’s farmhouse pushes one planned turbine 400 feet east.