[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6587354,"mediaKeyId","5604114-8a9813806e2510f0efb7c631b430a246","parentId",5604114,"title","Votes at a glance: Amherst supervisors approve rezoning, welding shop, CDBG application and ordinance amendment","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5771000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604114-8a9813806e2510f0efb7c631b430a246&start=5771&end=5771","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604114-8a9813806e2510f0efb7c631b430a246/thumbnail_5771000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6587354/Amherst-County/Virginia/Votes-at-a-glance-Amherst-supervisors-approve-rezoning-welding-shop-CDBG-application-and-ordinance-amendment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587354-717908a83b9a4827d3ed1c5e6877477b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770559041&Signature=cD~MMTwW4KZCObQP1-XnMfEWIAfSZbVa2TRI0cT7afe-9Y5jYSbF2lXeTMDql2cZi3-ZBBLvZnPLysBvCq~zqGhG~fDUt0btbr1KclRKU-e0VQVvzLvysiMgn87Q3cIDlbKFXPlj48~HN34WbMWL4kck4RhY4L60He1xsp2PzV9lTuHEg8XYOskKFtDrVmDRERh6VDdawroNxEdCPhB3wfpXbsvgt2DTu1MfcOs0noYq9qHA7THPPotIDYBRIf93Mv65gvGX~Wtc4seUyGb8MmPqBkYxH2zKgv6XkPG7X7HcXWJJBDBE5tmYyPuFZquT8wU7hPlurw-YfXRg97fhpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","County of Amherst","date","2025-08-20T01:59:16.067Z","article","The Amherst County Board of Supervisors took a series of administrative and land-use votes at its Aug. 19 meeting, approving several routine and higher-profile items while separately denying a 5-megawatt solar special exception (see separate coverage).

Key approvals included a rezoning to allow a double-wide home, a special-exception permit for a small welding business, county action to submit a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application for South Madison Heights infrastructure, and an ordinance amendment to align transient-occupancy tax rules with recent state law.

Rezoning for manufactured home (Case 2025-337)

- What passed: The board approved rezoning petition 2025-337, filed by John Tomlin, to reclassify about 17 acres from R-1 (limited residential) to R-2 (general residential) so the owner may place a double-wide manufactured home on the parcel (tax map 139-A-45). Planning staff and the planning commission recommended approval, noting similar uses (double-wides, manufactured homes) exist on nearby parcels.
- Vote: Motion carried (voice vote); no opposition recorded on the transcript.

Welding business special exception (Case 2025-354)

- What passed: The board approved special exception 2025-354 to allow an existing pole-barn conversion to a welding and metal-service shop on a parcel zoned A-1 (tax map 110-2-1). Applicant William Casey said the shop would employ three people and undergo a change-of-use permitting process with building inspections and VDH where applicable. The planning commission recommended approval with nine standard conditions, including lighting limits, building permits and limits on expansion beyond 25% without further board approval.
- Vote: Motion carried; approval recorded by the board.

CDBG application — South Madison Heights (Resolution 2025-13-R)

- What passed: The board approved submission of a CDBG application seeking up to $2 million to fund multi-phase infrastructure upgrades in the South Madison Heights/Lakeland subdivision area, including assistance with sewer connection fees and sidewalk/street-like installations. Central Virginia Planning District Commission staff said the defined project area includes roughly 57 homes (about 53% qualifying as low-to-moderate income by HUD LMI mapping). No displacement is planned.
- Vote: Board approved the resolution to apply for the grant.

Transient-occupancy tax ordinance amendment (Ordinance 2025-3)

- What passed: The board adopted an amendment to bring the county transient-occupancy tax ordinance into compliance with state legislation clarifying that third-party intermediaries (platforms that collect payments) may be responsible for remitting occupancy taxes when they facilitate sales. County counsel said the amendment is a technical update consistent with the General Assembly’s action.
- Vote: Motion carried; ordinance adopted.

Other votes and appointments

- Planning Commission appointment (at-large): The board reappointed Mr. Martin O. (Martin O.) for a four-year at-large term on the Amherst County Planning Commission.
- Planning Commission appointment (District 2): The board appointed Susan Schoening as the District 2 representative to the Planning Commission following interviews with two candidates.
- Board of Equalization nominees: The board recommended five citizens for appointment to the Board of Equalization and two alternates; the circuit court will make final appointments and the appointees would be sworn to begin Jan. 1, 2026.
- Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda as presented.
- Special presentation: The board adopted a commemorative resolution honoring Chief Mac Mays Jr., recognizing his service to local volunteer fire departments; the board also received an ISO rating update from fire officials noting improvements in department ratings.

What the votes mean

- Rezoning (2025-337) enables the applicant’s plan to place a manufactured double-wide home consistent with nearby land uses but changes the parcel’s future zoning classification from low-density to medium-density residential.
- Welding shop special exception (2025-354) permits a small business conversion in A-1 with conditions intended to limit visual and environmental impacts and to require standard building- and health-department approvals.
- The CDBG application, if awarded, would fund sewer connections and right-of-way improvements in a defined low-to-moderate-income area; staff estimated up to $50,000 per-home maximum for sewer connection and related work subject to CDBG rules.
- The transient-occupancy ordinance change aligns local collection procedures with state law and clarifies which parties are responsible for remitting occupancy taxes.

Actions (summarized)

- Rezoning 2025-337 (John Tomlin): Motion to approve; mover: Mr. Martin; outcome: approved (voice vote; no recorded opposition in transcript). Identifiers: tax map 139-A-45; purpose: allow placement of double-wide manufactured home.
- Special exception 2025-354 (William Casey): Motion to approve with conditions; mover: board member (recorded by chair); outcome: approved.
- Resolution 2025-13-R (CDBG application, South Madison Heights): Motion to approve submission of application for up to $2,000,000; mover: Supervisor Wade; outcome: approved.
- Ordinance 2025-3 (transient-occupancy tax amendment): Motion to adopt; mover: Supervisor Martin; outcome: adopted.
- Planning Commission appointments: Martin O. reappointed (at-large); Susan Schoening appointed (District 2). Motion passed.
- Board of Equalization recommendations: Board approved recommended nominees to forward to the circuit court for appointment.
- Consent agenda: Approved as presented.
- Commemorative resolution for Chief Mac Mays Jr.: Adopted by the board.

Speakers (selected)

- John Tomlin — applicant (rezoning)
- William Casey — applicant (welding shop)
- Jafredo Granger — Central Virginia Planning District Commission (CDBG consultant)
- Leslie Sprouse — county grants administrator (present for CDBG)
- Popovich — county counsel (presented ordinance update)
- Treasurer Carden — provided quarterly revenue/collection update

Provenance

- Each action is taken from the public hearing and board deliberations recorded in the Aug. 19 meeting transcript; specific agenda item references and identifiers are pulled from staff presentations and the motions read into the record.

Proper_names

- {\"name\":\"John Tomlin\",\"type\":\"person\"}
- {\"name\":\"William Casey\",\"type\":\"person\"}
- {\"name\":\"Central Virginia Planning District Commission\",\"type\":\"organization\"}
- {\"name\":\"Amherst County Board of Supervisors\",\"type\":\"agency\"}
- {\"name\":\"Chief Mac Mays Jr.\",\"type\":\"person\"}

Clarifying_details

- {\"category\":\"rezoning\",\"detail\":\"Rezoning 2025-337 is approximately 17 acres to allow a double-wide; future land-use map designates the area low density but the community already contains multiple manufactured homes.\",\"source_speaker\":\"Tyler Creasy\"}
- {\"category\":\"welding shop\",\"detail\":\"Special exception 2025-354 covers conversion of an existing pole barn to a welding shop with 3 employees; planning commission recommended approval with lighting and expansion-limits conditions.\",\"source_speaker\":\"Tyler Creasy\"}
- {\"category\":\"CDBG\",\"detail\":\"Grant application up to $2,000,000 to support sewer connections and sidewalk/street-like installations for an estimated 57 homes in the South Madison Heights project area; HUD LMI about 53% in the area.\",\"source_speaker\":\"Jafredo Granger\"}

Community_relevance

- geographies:[\"Madison Heights/Lakeland subdivision\",\"Isaac Walton Road (rezoning)\",\"Monacan Parkway/Old Stage Road (welding shop)\"]
- funding_sources:[\"CDBG (DHCD)\"]
- impact_groups:[\"low-to-moderate-income households (South Madison Heights)\",\"nearby residents (rezoning/welding)\"]

Meeting_context

- engagement_level:{\"speakers_count\":28,\"duration_minutes\":190,\"items_count\":12},
- implementation_risk:\"low to medium (grants contingent on award; welding shop requires building permits; rezoning effective immediately)\",
- history:[{\"date\":\"2025-08-19\",\"note\":\"Board approved actions listed; planning commission previously reviewed some items (rezoning, special exceptions).\"}]

searchable_tags:[\"rezoning\",\"special exception\",\"CDBG\",\"transient occupancy tax\",\"appointments\",\"Amherst County\"]

provenance:{\"transcript_segments\":[{\"block_id\":\"block_4300.98\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":270,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"And madam chair, board, this is a rezoning partition, 20 25 Dash 3 3 7, from John Tomlin... The proposed rezoning is for approximately 17 acres from the R 1 Limited residential District to the R 2 General Residential District.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:71:40\",\"tc_end\":\"00:72:10\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_4857.355\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":32,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Motion on the floor by Mr. Martin. All in favor say aye. Opposed no. Motion passes.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:80:57\",\"tc_end\":\"00:81:03\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_4880.8647\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":120,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"This next is a special exception 2025Dash354 for a welding business in our A 1 Agriculture residential district. This is a request by William Casey junior and Teresa Qualls for a special exception.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:81:20\",\"tc_end\":\"00:83:00\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_5404.91\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":80,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Motion on the floor. All in favor say aye. Motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Casey. Good luck.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:90:04\",\"tc_end\":\"00:90:13\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_5434.76\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":180,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"I will just do a quick introduction. So this is an awesome opportunity for Amherst County. We have mister Jafredo Granger with the Central Virginia Planning District Commission here... The funding to be requested on behalf of Amherst County is not to exceed $2,000,000.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:90:34\",\"tc_end\":\"00:93:34\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_5753.23\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":45,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Motion on the floor by Mr. Wade. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed no. Motion passes.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:95:53\",\"tc_end\":\"00:96:02\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_5771.165\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":160,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"This is an ordinance amendment to the transient occupancy tax provisions of the code of Amherst County... This is a simple technical amendment just to bring the ordinance into compliance.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:96:11\",\"tc_end\":\"00:98:33\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_5895.02\",\"local_start\":0,","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 19, 2025 Amherst County Board of Supervisors Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At the Aug. 19 meeting the Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning for a double-wide home, a welding-shop special exception, a CDBG application for South Madison Heights infrastructure, and a technical amendment to the transient-occupancy tax ordinance, among other actions.","taxTitle","Amherst County, Virginia","taxId",30502,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6587359,"Amherst supervisors deny 5-MW solar project citing slope and watercourse concerns",3749,570000,4319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604114-8a9813806e2510f0efb7c631b430a246&start=570&end=4319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604114-8a9813806e2510f0efb7c631b430a246/thumbnail_570000.jpg","/articles/6587359/Amherst-County/Virginia/Amherst-supervisors-deny-5-MW-solar-project-citing-slope-and-watercourse-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587359-84e89b3b8600f68f10d7c1c6cfd72aba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770559041&Signature=g-60B1L2Vbs64x3miNYz~9hEReP2KvYOyLFcSE-UuFnHjjc5OuUpi1u6CpcQ023ImkYto9Ty6Wh6TymbHhtFAIGvgpdtzAH9hfu3a5aQFQ2xgFcJYlGtUEmeQxTgnnueC0fEQ5-JV~libFxV~62xYp1eBWYQfhGRgr12PIs5E8Ww6eTVeSOlreAQWzsDJNMr8iOU25zUzslHyYgdSfCfl9WAIqTXT-lJ6pH19SeQyS8j4e12MSPHDowv1pEL--Eu5Tt5YOa7K~iYp~idKRV6RAnuf93sPfGUW9N2HVrve9o2cgGP8ZlS0QJ~HZpjFUuanNAUVq3UrNL711ZktQXSLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Amherst County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 19 voted to deny a special exception and a siting agreement for a proposed 5-megawatt solar facility being developed by 1 Energy Development LLC, upholding the planning commission's finding that the project was not substantially in accord with the county comprehensive plan.

The motion to deny, made by Supervisor Martin and approved by the board with one recorded no vote by Supervisor Drew Wade, covered the special exception (2025-115), the accompanying appeal under Virginia Code §15.2-2232, and the siting agreement (2025-348).

The decision came after a multi-hour public hearing in which county planning staff, the applicant and dozens of residents presented technical details, promises of community benefits and objections focused on grading, stormwater and viewshed impacts along the Buffalo River.

County planner Tyler Creasy outlined the request at the hearing: the site is a roughly 73-acre parcel identified as tax map 82-A-84A zoned A-1 (agriculture/residential). The applicant proposed to use approximately 20 acres for the fenced solar array, with a fixed-tilt array of about 12,000 panels and a maximum panel height of roughly 14 feet. Creasy said a major site plan and VDOT sign-off would be required before zoning permits, and that conditions would require a road maintenance plan and DEQ stormwater permitting.

Natalie Young, project manager for 1 Energy Development, told the board the project (referred to in application materials as Hizup Solar) had secured interconnection capacity with Appalachian Power Company and was designed to participate in APCo’s new shared-solar pilot. \"The power that this project will produce is equivalent to the needs of approximately 1,200 average Virginia homes,\" Young said, adding the developer planned to seed the site with pollinator-friendly mixes and add roughly 21 evergreen trees per 100 linear feet in a 40-foot buffer. Young said the applicant offered a $100,000 upfront payment to the county as part of the siting agreement and proposed a priority registration period and an additional subscriber discount for Amherst residents in APCo’s shared-solar program.

Karen Cohen, legal counsel for the applicant with Gentry Locke, explained the state review the company had invoked. \"It's not a it's not a lawsuit. It's not an action against the county or anything like that,\" Cohen said of the §15.2-2232 appeal process, and outlined how the statute requires a determination whether the facility's general location, character and extent are substantially in accord with the comprehensive plan. She noted the county’s zoning ordinance permits solar as a special exception in A-1 and that the ordinance sets size limits and buffering standards; she also described the revenue-share framework the county could use for compensation.

Multiple neighbors and technical speakers opposed the project or raised questions about its location. Paul Kilgore, a long-time local official and former mayor, said he feared the steep slope and proximity to the Buffalo River made the site a poor fit: \"They want you to believe that their engineers have developed a plan to keep all of that silt and soil out of the Buffalo River. Maybe they have. Maybe they haven't,\" Kilgore said, citing DEQ compliance reports for other solar projects in the region. Kimberly Maddox, who said she would have an unobstructed view of the panels, called the project \"a significant negative impact on my home, my peace of mind and my future.\" Gary Ahern, another nearby property owner, said he opposed the project during construction and raised possible effects on property values.

Supporters included onsite engineers and adjoining landowners who described negotiations with the developer over access road placement, vegetation management and maintenance contracts. Kennedy Campbell, a site engineer who said she works for the Timmons Group on the project’s stormwater design, described the proposed erosion-control measures and the small scale of the stormwater footprint relative to larger developments. Adjoining landowner Ronald Dixon, who owns the project property through Buffalo Ridge Air Sports LLC, said he chose the developer and emphasized he wanted to be a \"good neighbor\": \"I'm not in this for money. I'm in this because this is what I spent 40 years of my life studying,\" Dixon said.

Board members said they were persuaded that, despite multiple mitigation commitments, the proposed grading and disturbance on the steep portion of the site adjacent to the Buffalo River posed an unacceptable environmental risk. When Supervisor Martin moved to deny the special exception and siting agreement and to uphold the planning commission’s finding of nonconformity with the comprehensive plan, the board voted to adopt that motion; the recorded tally showed one no vote by Supervisor Drew Wade and the motion passed.

The denial means the applicant may pursue other administrative or project changes (for example, redesign, additional buffering or alternative siting) but the board’s action closes the current special exception and siting agreement application. The planning commission had recommended denial prior to the supervisors' hearing.

The hearing record includes detailed technical exhibits — stormwater concepts, line-of-sight visualizations (with 5 sightlines modeled), a proposed vegetative buffer, and a decommissioning plan with a proposed decommissioning bond — and the developer said the array would be underground to APCo poles only at the site perimeter. Staff advised that DEQ stormwater permitting would be required for construction, and that VDOT must approve the entrance as a low-volume commercial access with a road maintenance plan required as a condition.

The record shows a mix of local support for distributed energy and concerns about the site selection. The applicant repeatedly told the board it was willing to work with neighbors and the board to refine mitigation; the board instead concluded the site-specific grading and erosion risks outweighed the pledged benefits.

Actions

- Motion: Deny special exception 2025-115 (utility-scale solar), deny siting agreement 2025-348, and uphold the Amherst County Planning Commission determination that the special exception is not substantially in accord with the county comprehensive plan.
- Mover: Supervisor Martin (moved on the record)
- Second: not specified on record
- Vote record: Supervisor Martin — yes; Supervisor Drew Wade — no; other supervisors — yes (not specified by name on transcript)
- Tally: yes 4, no 1, abstain 0
- Outcome: approved (denial of special exception and siting agreement)
- Notes: Board cited grading/erosion risk adjacent to Buffalo River and potential stormwater/runoff impacts as primary reasons. Applicant offered conditions and mitigation but was not approved.

Speakers (attributed)

- Tyler Creasy — county planning staff
- Natalie Young — project manager, 1 Energy Development
- Karen Cohen — attorney, Gentry Locke (representing applicant)
- Ronald Dixon — landowner (Buffalo Ridge Air Sports LLC)
- Kennedy Campbell — engineer, Timmons Group
- Steve Zlunowski — representative of adjoining landowners
- Kimberly Maddox — resident/opponent
- Gary Ahern — resident/opponent
- Paul Kilgore — resident/opponent
- Supervisor Martin — member, Amherst County Board of Supervisors (mover of denial)
- Supervisor Drew Wade — member, Amherst County Board of Supervisors (recorded no vote)

Authorities

- {\"type\":\"statute\",\"name\":\"Virginia Code § 15.2-2232 (public facility review)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"Karen Cohen\",\"Tyler Creasy\"]}
- {\"type\":\"ordinance\",\"name\":\"Amherst County zoning ordinance (solar/special-exception provisions)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"Tyler Creasy\",\"Karen Cohen\"]}
- {\"type\":\"statute\",\"name\":\"Virginia Code §§ 15.2-2204 and 15.2-2316 (siting agreement/statutory citations referenced by staff)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"Tyler Creasy\"]}

Clarifying details

- site_area: {\"category\":\"site size\",\"detail\":\"parcel is approximately 73 acres; proposed fenced panel area about 20 acres\",\"value\":73,\"units\":\"acres\",\"approximate\":true,\"source_speaker\":\"Tyler Creasy\"}
- generation_capacity: {\"category\":\"generation capacity\",\"detail\":\"project is proposed at 5 megawatts AC\",\"value\":5,\"units\":\"MW\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Natalie Young\"}
- panels_count: {\"category\":\"equipment\",\"detail\":\"~12,000 fixed-tilt panels proposed\",\"value\":12000,\"units\":\"units\",\"approximate\":true,\"source_speaker\":\"Tyler Creasy\"}
- max_panel_height: {\"category\":\"height limit\",\"detail\":\"panel top not to exceed about 14 feet\",\"value\":14,\"units\":\"feet\",\"approximate\":true,\"source_speaker\":\"Tyler Creasy\"}
- vegetative_buffer: {\"category\":\"landscaping\",\"detail\":\"proposed 40-foot buffer with ~21 evergreens per 100 linear feet; existing buffer ranges 300–1,300 feet in places\",\"source_speaker\":\"Natalie Young\"}
- stormwater_measures: {\"category\":\"stormwater\",\"detail\":\"applicant proposed at least three stormwater management ponds; project requires DEQ stormwater permitting\",\"source_speaker\":\"Tyler Creasy\"}
- shared_solar_benefit: {\"category\":\"community benefit\",\"detail\":\"applicant asserted participation in APCo shared-solar pilot offering ~10% subscriber savings; estimate: serves ~1,200 homes, $216 average annual household savings\",\"source_speaker\":\"Natalie Young\"}
- siting_agreement_payment: {\"category\":\"local payment\",\"detail\":\"applicant offered an upfront $100,000 payment to the county in the proposed siting agreement\",\"value\":100000,\"units\":\"USD\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Natalie Young\"}
- decommissioning: {\"category\":\"decommissioning\",\"detail\":\"applicant included a decommissioning plan and bond to restore land at end of project life\",\"source_speaker\":\"Natalie Young\"}

Proper_names

- {\"name\":\"Amherst County\",\"type\":\"agency\"}
- {\"name\":\"1 Energy Development LLC\",\"type\":\"business\"}
- {\"name\":\"Appalachian Power Company\",\"type\":\"business\"}
- {\"name\":\"Timmons Group\",\"type\":\"business\"}
- {\"name\":\"Gentry Locke\",\"type\":\"business\"}
- {\"name\":\"Buffalo Ridge Air Sports LLC\",\"type\":\"business\"}
- {\"name\":\"Buffalo River\",\"type\":\"location\"}
- {\"name\":\"Department of Environmental Quality\",\"type\":\"agency\"}

Community_relevance

- geographies: [\"Route 29 Business\",\"Boxwood Farm Road\",\"Buffalo River watershed\",\"Amherst County\"]
- impact_groups: [\"adjacent homeowners\",\"APCo customers/subscribers\",\"local agriculture (pollinators)\"]
- funding_sources: [\"not specified in hearing (applicant referenced project financing and revenue-share structure)\"]

Searchable_tags:[\"solar\",\"utility-scale\",\"land use\",\"stormswater\",\"viewshed\",\"Amherst County\",\"Appalachian Power\"]

Provenance

- transcript_segments:[{\"block_id\":\"block_531.405\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":223,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"As you have just indicated, you all as a board are conducting a combined public hearing for a special exception and siting agreement regarding a utility scale solar facility being proposed in the A 1 agriculture residential district.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:08:51\",\"tc_end\":\"00:12:00\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_570.71\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":170,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Regarding the appeal pursuant to Virginia state code, which I already mentioned 15.2 dash 22 32 subsection b. The special exception request is from 1 energy development LLC. As mentioned, it is for utility scale solar facility, 5 megawatts in size, and the parcel is located at tax map number 82DashADash84A.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:09:30\",\"tc_end\":\"00:10:38\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"block_4252.49\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":67,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Let the record show 1 no vote by mister Drew Wade. Motion passes.\",\"tc_start\":\"00:70:52\",\"tc_end\":\"00:70:58\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}]","After hours of testimony from the applicant, neighbors and experts, the Amherst County Board of Supervisors voted to deny a special exception and associated siting agreement for a proposed 5-megawatt solar facility, citing grading and stormwater risks along the Buffalo River.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Amherst supervisors approve rezoning, welding shop, CDBG application and ordinance amendment

Amherst supervisors deny 5-MW solar project citing slope and watercourse concerns