The Knox City Council will hold off on final approval of new solar farm standards, until some adjustments can be considered. Under the ordinance presented during Tuesday’s meeting, commercial solar energy systems within the city’s zoning jurisdiction would have to be located in an agricultural zone, at least 200 feet away from any homes, 100 feet from roads, and 50 feet from neighboring properties.
Council President Jeff Berg helped work on the ordinance. “I really think this document can serve us well here in the City of Knox,” he told the rest of the council Tuesday. “I think it’s a comprehensive resource and document as solar energy becomes more prevalent in our region.”
But there were some concerns with the way power lines and electrical substations were included in the proposed ordinance. Jeff La Point represents Hoosier Solar and Advantage Capital. He said the placement of that equipment depends on where the transmission lines are. “We wanted to make a recommendation that we segregate or specifically exclude power generation lines and the substation itself from being on agricultural land because we don’t know that that’ll end up being the case,” La Point said.
In the end, the council voted to approve the ordinance on first reading, but give city officials a chance to look into the requested adjustments before final adoption.
