Planning board approves text amendment for solar farms | Tvilletimes

City Attorney Paul Mitchell clarified for those in attendance that the two actions were just the first two steps in a very lengthy process, which must make its way to the council before any other action is taken.

“At this stage, they’ve still got to have a special plan, with pictures and all that,” Mitchell said. “We’re going to have a public hearing to let people come back and say, ‘It’s too close to this, it’s too close to that.’ They’ll also have a map, a diagram and a drawing of how big it’s going to be, how big the buffers are. The beauty of a conditional use is there’s give and take with the buffers.

“If there’s 38 people that don’t like it, but there’s a way that they can tweak it to make enough of y’all happy, to where this board and the city council is happy, then they’ll approve it with those changes.”

Justin LaRoche, representing Duke Energy, presented to board members information about the corporation’s plan for a facility prior to the board’s approval of a conditional use. In response to negative feedback from residents, LaRoche echoed Mitchell’s thoughts in acknowledging the give-and-take of a process that will likely necessitate several other meetings.

“Duke Energy is committed to continuing to work with stakeholders, including (representatives) from the city, the community and adjacent property owners who may be impacted,” LaRoche said. “We’re more than happy to engage with those folks about access and view, etc.”

The proposal by Duke Energy calls for the transformation of a 300-acre plot of land belonging to Baptist Children’s Home to be the site of this facility. City Manager Kelly Craver said last week that Duke Energy is required by both state and federal law to generate a certain percentage of its energy from a renewable source. The corporation either buys power from a corporate solar farm or constructs one itself.

City officials recently visited a similar facility in Mocksville, which is situated on 100 acres of land in Davie County. Craver said a provision for solar farms did not exist in the city’s ordinance because it had not previously been requested. He also said city officials have done their diligence in seeking a sufficient buffer zone for the proposed location.

One of the reasons Craver said Duke Energy is requesting the tract on Baptist Children’s Home Road involves the use of an electric substation already on the property. With a substation already on the property, the company would not have to build a new one.

In discussing a possible timetable, Craver said Duke Energy officials indicate that if approved by council, construction could begin sometime in 2019. A project of this nature is typically completed in nine months.