The solar ordinance will go back to the Marshall County Planning Commission members after the commissioners made additional amendments to the document.
The commissioners placed a moratorium earlier this year on solar farm developments more than 10 acres. Since then, a task force met and put forth recommendations for amendments to be considered by the Planning Commission. They were approved by the Planning Commission and moved to the Marshall County Commissioners for a public hearing in September.
Setbacks and buffering boundaries were adjusted, along with the requirement of a security fence, plus wording that deals with the preservation of topsoil, minimization of deforestation, energy storage solutions, and a wildlife mitigation study. The preferred locations would place solar farms in Brownfields, industrial-zoned property, or marginal agricultural soils. Under the decommissioning process, if the facility has not generated power for six months, than it should undergo the decommissioning plans with a semi-annual generational report.
The commissioners want to the remove the allowance of solar farms on marginal agricultural soils, and include that the contour of the property must be maintained, make sure system components are 95 percent recyclable, and allow no tax abatements on solar farms.
The commissioners agreed to send those changes in writing to the Planning Commission to put in an alternate recommendation to the commissioners. The ordinance will be brought back for full consideration in a future meeting.
