The Starke County Plan Commission members voted unanimously to advance a favorable recommendation to the Starke County Commissioners for a three month moratorium on Commercial Energy Solar Systems and Battery Energy Storage Systems in Starke County.
The Plan Commission members opened public hearings on each solar component and heard comments from residents opposed to such projects. One resident thought that the issue should wait until after the first of the year so the newly elected commissioners could take action on it.
The commission members agreed to advance the moratoriums and certify their decision. The Starke County Commissioners have 90 days to consider action on the moratoriums. The commissioners have it as a discussion item on Monday’s agenda. They can accept the recommendation, reject it, or send it back to the Plan Commission for any amendments to language within the moratorium.
The commissioners will meet Monday, November 18 at 9:30 a.m. CT in the ground floor meeting room in the Starke County Annex Building No. 1 at 53 E. Mound Street in Knox.
Additionally, the Starke County Council will open a public hearing to take comments on requests from Hoosier Solar for the process of personal property tax abatements for the Starke Central and North Bend solar projects. A preliminary resolution for the establishment of an Economic Revitalization Area for each project will be presented for future approval. The affected parcels in each project would be deemed as an Economic Revitalization Area for a period of 40 years, subject to the adoption of a confirmatory resolution.
The public hearing is set for Tuesday, November 19 at 6 p.m. CT at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox. Permits for these projects have already been approved.
