At the Oct. 2 meeting the Dade County commissioners discussed whether to create land-use safeguards for large commercial solar arrays after residents and county staff raised concerns about nearby industrial-scale installations.

Steven (surname given in the transcript as Bonico/Bonico), who described himself as a county environmental resource person, summarized a 2018 guidance document produced jointly by UGA, Georgia Tech and Emory that municipalities have used to set standards for commercial solar projects. He told the board that 37 municipalities had adopted rules or guidance by 2018 and recommended safeguards such as setbacks, vegetative buffers, erosion-control requirements and siting criteria to limit impacts on agricultural land and steep slopes.

Speakers at the meeting worried that without local standards large arrays could concentrate runoff, increase erosion on steep or sandy soils, and alter land previously used for agriculture. One speaker noted that solar arrays can create concentrated sheet flow and that, unlike roof runoff, panel arrays can channel water in ways that increase erosion risk on sloped sites. Panel tilt, mounting and runoff paths were cited as technical details the county should consider in any ordinance. Several speakers also urged requiring vegetative buffers or tree plantings within setback zones so installations would be screened from neighbors.

Commissioners discussed the role of the county’s industrial development authority (IDA) and whether the IDA’s land deals could bypass county controls; speakers said some industrial-park properties already have setback rules but that large arrays on private lands can proceed now without local setbacks because Dade County lacks zoning. Board members asked staff to circulate the guidance documents and recommended drafting a simple ordinance or set of development standards for the board to review. Commissioner Melissa Bradford said she opposed zoning but supported “managing what you got” through targeted ordinances.

The topic was tabled for further review and commissioners asked staff to distribute the UGA/Georgia Tech/Emory guidance and sample ordinance language to all commissioners and the county clerk for consideration at upcoming meetings and at the TDAC committee review.