A proposed solar farm in Pulaski County is expected to draw a crowd to next week’s board of zoning appeals meeting. How to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 was a topic of discussion during Monday’s county commissioners meeting. A company called Mammoth Solar is seeking permission to build solar arrays on more than 4,500 acres of farmland. The project would be in portions of Jefferson, Beaver, Rich Grove, Franklin, and Monroe townships.
Commercial solar farm development requires a public hearing and a special exemption from the board of zoning appeals. Terri Hansen with the Pulaski County Health Department told the commissioners Monday that next week’s hearing is already generating a lot of interest. “My entire neighborhood is coming to this meeting,” Hansen said. “There’s going to be tons of people.”
Hansen noted that under the governor’s orders, any event with more than 250 people would have to have a written COVID-19 mitigation plan approved by the county health department. She also questioned whether the Pulaski County Highway Garage had enough social distancing space for a crowd that size. Officials discussed the possibility of moving it to the high school gym or football field. But in the end, the commissioners felt that it was too late to change the location, since the legal advertisement had already been published.
Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer discussed the possibility of setting up a screen and speakers outside. That would allow residents to watch the hearing from the Highway Garage parking lot and enter the building to make their comments. Meanwhile, Sheriff Jeff Richwine said he plans to have deputies present.
Also during Monday’s meeting, the commissioners finalized a change to the permit fee for commercial solar panels. Rather than $1,250 per megawatt, solar developers will now be charged a flat fee of $15,000 plus 105 percent of any expenses the county incurs as part of the process. County Attorney Kevin Tankersley said he made some adjustments to the original ordinance language presented at the last meeting. The fee change will take effect 90 days after notice is published. That particular fee only applies to commercial solar projects. Homeowners planning to install solar panels for their own use follow a different fee schedule.
Origer and Building Inspector Doug Hoover said that while there have been rumors of other solar developers being interested in Pulaski County, so far, Mammoth is the only one that has officially sought the county’s approval. Next week’s Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting will be held Monday at 6:00 p.m. EDT in the Pulaski County Highway Garage.
