Proposed Solar Garden project discussed at county work session
News | Published on December 18, 2023 at 12:36pm CST
By Melanie Stegner
news@pctribune.com
The Pope County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday for a work session to discuss a proposed project by Mark and Henry Halvorson for placement of a solar garden on their property.
The pair have had three meetings with the Glenwood township board so far and were approved for the project with a 500-foot setback. Following this approval, they received a letter from the township board stating that their proposal cannot go through because the property is in a residential zone. They received advice to come before the county to request a rezoning of their property as the appeal to amend the township’s regulations was denied.
The property in question has been in their family since 1866 and has served as pastureland during that time. The topography is hilly, and the ground is sandy and rocky. The proposal includes planting native grasses and pollinator plants to maintain an environment friendly area while also providing clean and quiet energy.
The proposed area of the property includes roughly a ten-acre area place in a valley-like area near the middle of the property, making the solar panels less visible from the roadway. The Halvorsons discussed the project with two of their neighbors who were ok with the proposal. The proposed plot of solar panels would produce roughly one megawatt of power.
The pair have discussed the project with energy companies as well who have determined the area as a favorable placement for the solar garden. “If this gets approved, we are in the queue with Xcel Energy to get them hooked up,” stated Mark Halvorson.
The property was originally zoned as an agricultural property and over 30 years ago, it was determined to be changed to a residential zone for purposes of future development. The proposal faces the issues of what the land use policy says from a county standpoint and in the eyes of the township. On the county level, the solar garden can be approved with a conditional use permit. On the township level this is not the case, and the township has the ultimate say in determining the fate of the project.
There are three ways for citizens to initiate a change in zoning. The first is a citizen-initiated request as well as a recommendation from either the Planning and Zoning Committee or the Land Use Management office. “There is nothing wrong on the county side of things as our zoning permits this use of property. The Halvorsons are here trying to exhaust their options for the proposal,” stated David Green, Land and Resource Management Director.
According to Green from a legal aspect spot zoning is not favored and could set a precedent for future projects of a similar nature. “It seems that the township wants the county to be a scapegoat for denying the project,” he added.
Commissioners Larry Lindor and Paul Gerde commented on their hopes that the project can go through. “We can’t be making decisions based on personal feelings. We should have a discussion with the township to come to a consensus,” said Gerde. “This project wouldn’t be a permanent fixture. They typically come with a contract which makes this a win-win because the land can still be used for other things in the future.”
“The contract as discussed would be between 25 and 30 years with a clean-up clause. They would be tasked with taking everything off the property at the end of the contract. No cement would be used, and the panels go on 10-foot stands,” Mark Halvorson added.
Because the meeting was a work session, no decision was made, but further discussion is planned.
County Feedlot Officer Ariel Hughes presented updates on some of the projects going on around the county. Hughes showed drone footage of the digester going in on the Malecha farm. “They aren’t doing the gas upgrading yet but work on the control room and the digester itself progresses,” she said.
According to Hughes, the project is proceeding as planned and noise control is being discussed. The gas from the Malecha property will be transported by truck twice a week to start with. “It’s going to take a while to finish this up, so gas won’t be going out soon, but it’s moving along,” she added.
Following the two main topics, the board was presented with proposed fee schedules from the Land & Resource Management Department, Record, Assessor and Auditor/Treasurer. The next meeting of the commissioners is on Tuesday, December 19 in the third-floor meeting room and will be the final meeting of the commissioners for 2023.
