Calhoun County Council: Solar farm freeze finalized

Calhoun County Council has finalized a six-month moratorium on the development of some new solar farms in the county.

Council gave third and final approval Monday to an ordinance temporarily halting the development of solar farms outside of industrial areas in unincorporated areas of the county. It applies to solar farms larger than an acre in size.

The moratorium does not apply to solar projects that have already been approved by the county’s planning commission.

“From past experience, we know that it takes months, even years to go from approval of planning commission to the time when the final building and electrical permits are pulled,” County Administrator John McLauchlin said.

The ordinance places a moratorium on applications and administrative processing for the solar projects to give the county time to review, “land classifications, zoning regulations and overall development standards for large-scale solar projects.”

The county is currently in the process of updating its comprehensive plan and is reviewing land classifications, zoning regulations and the overall development standards for the rural areas of the county.

The moratorium is designed to give the county time to “undertake a study of the consequences and impact of large-scale solar projects and/or solar farms in non-industrial zoning districts,” the ordinance says.

The moratorium could be extended by council in the future.

Council voted 3-1 with one abstention for the moratorium. Councilman Ken Westbury voted in opposition to the moratorium, while Councilman Richard Carson abstained due to a conflict of interest.

Westbury has not voted on the issue in the past due to a conflict of interest, but said the conflict no longer exists due to a death in his family.

“I am not in favor of us stepping in and taking property rights any sooner than we have to to preserve what goes on in this county for its people,” Westbury said. “Property rights are probably one of our most basic rights.”

Richard Watkins, a Fort Motte landowner, expressed his support for the moratorium, noting he has heard from other landowners that more solar farms have inquired about locating to the county.

“It seems to underscore the appropriateness of proceeding with the six-month moratorium, during which the county’s comprehensive planning process can continue,” Watkins said.

Fort Motte resident Julian Wiles sold his land for the development of a solar farm and said the moratorium is too broad.

“We feel that each solar project should be evaluated on its own merits,” Wiles said. “Our family has been working diligently to develop an environmentally and community sensitive solar lease to protect our land and to protect our community.”

These plans include having a greater setback than is currently required in the county’s ordinance as well as “ensuring the top soil would not be disturbed” to enable the land to go back to farming.

“We feel a six-month, countywide moratorium is not necessary or warranted,” Wiles said.

County resident Michael Moss noted the county already has three solar farms.

“I don’t see where they hurt one thing,” Moss said. “I would like to know how much money will the county make from the fee-in-lieu on so many solar projects. My understanding is that it is pretty significant.”

If the solar projects are run off, the taxpayers would end up having to make up for the lost revenue the farms would have brought in, Moss said…

Calhoun County resident Luther Wannamaker agreed with the moratorium, requesting a committee study the matter and make recommendations to council.

“These issues are very complicated,” Wannamaker said. “We have to face the issue and talk about it and come to sensible conclusions.”