Officials in Washington County, Virginia on Tuesday authorized a revised ordinance governing any future photo voltaic operations there.
The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0, with supervisors Saul Hernandez and Dwayne Ball absent, to approve the ordinance.
The ordinance consists of state regulation language that gives “any locality can grant a particular exception permit†and consists of in its zoning ordinance “reasonable rules and provisions for a particular exception for any photo voltaic photovoltaic (electrical power) mission or power storage mission. which is able to absorbing power, storing that power for a time frame and re-delivering that power after it has been saved.â€
The developer plans to hyperlink to the prevailing Wolf Hills energy plant and estimates that the photo voltaic mission will generate 250 megawatts of electrical energy.
The ordinance establishes 26 tips or necessities together with requiring a web site settlement and web site plan, following current constructing codes, creating a land disturbance plan, requiring a six-foot safety fence, screening round these websites, a noise regulation, entry and notification requirement. when the photo voltaic operation modifications possession.
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The enlargement of the photo voltaic ordinance comes as a Texas-based firm, Catalyst Energy Partners, requested a particular exception allow from the Washington County Planning Commission.
Catalyst has plans to put in photo voltaic panels on 1,800 acres or extra of farmland and industrial land in Washington County, largely within the Wyndale space.
Landowners who would settle for photo voltaic tasks on their properties praised the corporate’s long-term lease agreements, saying they may get more cash from land they can not presently use.
But neighbors – and a few county officers – are skeptical about what’s going to occur to the views of the farms, the lack of agricultural land, the upkeep and eventual elimination of the photo voltaic panels, the dimensions of the mission and if this four-year-old firm plans to promote the proposed photo voltaic operation to unknown international traders.
The Washington County Planning Commission voted in favor of the expanded ordinance. Planning Commission Chairwoman Christina Rehfuss referred to as the ordinance “protecting” of the county if a photo voltaic power firm needs to find in Washington County.
Catalyst is requesting a particular exception allow later this month, which is scheduled to be thought-about by the Board of Supervisors on July 9.
“We should have an ordinance,†mentioned Board Chairman Mike Rush within the assembly final Tuesday.
Emma Wyatt, a Providence Road resident and former metropolis planner for town of Culpeper, Virginia, spoke at Tuesday’s public listening to.
Wyatt requested that areas with slopes larger than 10 % must be rigorously monitored and that the position of photo voltaic panels on slopes larger than 15 % shouldn’t be allowed.
County Attorney Brandon Snodgrass mentioned Wyatt and her husband have been “recovered” by the proposals.
The board adopted Wyatt’s proposal to amend the ordinance to handle high-slope areas.
Another resident, William Bish, mentioned the ordinance must be expanded to incorporate whether or not permits should be issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. In flip, Bish mentioned any firm must be answerable for any authorized charges the county incurs and that close by neighbors’ water wells that could be affected must be examined.
Snodgrass mentioned he appreciated Bish’s strategies however wished they’d come to his consideration sooner.
The lawyer mentioned these clauses could possibly be thought-about additions to the ordinance – at a later time.
Supervisor Phil McCall made a movement, seconded by Supervisor Charlie Hargis, to approve the expanded ordinance – with the Wyatts’ further strategies relating to slopes and land drainage.