A small change in language is all that was needed to get the Planning Board to back a Town Meeting article that clarifies an aspect of the solar bylaws.

Through several years, countless disagreements and a few Town Meetings, Marion has developed a set of bylaws to govern solar panel use and placement in the town.

The Energy Management Committee has advocated for solar bylaws as well as for a solar farm that will give businesses and residents in town without the space or resources to install solar panels, an option to benefit from them.

The solar bylaw discussions continued when a Planning Board member noticed a minor issue in the language of a Town Meeting article brought by the Energy Management Committee. The article deals with the Table of Principal Use Regulations, basically a table of contents that directs people to specific bylaws in the town.

Some on the Planning Board were concerned about a missing line in the table. Though it did not affect the actual bylaw, there were issues with “vagueness” said Planning Board member Jerry “Rico” Ferrari at the Tuesday, April 22 meeting.

The meeting was the second in which the Planning Board and Energy Management Committee had discussed the language change.

“I felt that the article that was submitted earlier by the Energy Management Committee was sufficient,” said committee member Bill Saltonstall.

But to compromise, Saltonstall proposed a second line that clarifies that all solar installations except for solar farms require a special permit.

“The extra line is a welcome addition,” said Planning Board Vice-Chair Stephen Kokkins.

The Planning Board approved the change. As the articles are already assembled for Town Meeting, the board or committee will need to make an amendment on the floor to include the additional line.