Around 250 people made their way to the Plymouth High School Auditorium on Thursday night to a public hearing by the Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals concerning a request for special use by Invenergy to create the proposed Tamarack Solar Farm.
After a nearly four hour meeting, once again a decision on the special use was delayed. With several people still waiting to speak and a “curfew” by the school corporation of 10 p.m. for people to exit the building the Board sought to table the hearing stating the desire to allow all citizens who desired to a chance to speak on the issue.
The lawyer for Invenergy then addressed BZA counsel Derek Jones about a procedural issue stating that a “public hearing” could not be tabled, as it violated due process, and stated that a decision had to be made or a the meeting continued to another date.
Discussion then centered on how to continue with the Board insisting that they wanted to let all patrons who desired to speak on the issue. The amount of people in attendance would require a similar large setting and the availability of the auditorium became an issue for just what date the hearing could be continued to allow for the large crowd, and allow for the length of time required to advertise the new meeting.
It was suggested that advertising a “continued” meeting did not have a set amount of time, and while being shouted down by the crowd, representatives of Invenergy requested that the meeting be set as soon as possible, even within the next few days. Jones advised the BZA that notice of the meeting should be advertised at least 10 days in advance.
The board discussed several dates, with President Jeff Gustafson adding that the date should also be one that all the appointed members of the board, who have other careers and responsibilities as well, could be in attendance.
The board came to the decision to “recess” the public hearing until Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. the location at Plymouth High School pending the availability of the auditorium.
