Planning board recommends rezoning to allow Union Power substation at sheriff training site (2025CZ008)

The Union County Planning Board on Sept. 16, 2025 recommended approval of conditional rezoning petition 2025CZ008 to allow a Union Power Cooperative electrical substation on a leased portion of county property that houses the sheriff’s training facility. The parcel totals about 161 acres; the proposed substation lease area is limited in size (approximately 2 acres of cleared area within the larger tract) and the rezoning incorporates the special-use permit component as part of the rezoning approval.

Planning staff explained the request is an amendment to a prior rezoning and that the proposal is limited to a substation sited adjacent to an existing transmission/distribution easement, minimizing additional line extensions and tree clearing. Staff said the site would be accessed from Ansonville Road via an existing dirt/utility access easement and that the plan preserves substantial tree buffers around the fenced lease area except for the small cleared substation footprint and the access drive. Environmental features on the parcel include a stream and localized floodplain; staff said the proposal avoids those features and will require standard stormwater and erosion-control permitting.

Joe Irvin of United Grid Solutions, the consultant on the project, said the siting team selected the location because it is secluded, adjacent to existing transmission infrastructure and would require relatively little additional right-of-way or long line extensions. Matt Balcom of Union Power Cooperative described the service area the substation would support (areas toward Wingate and College Park, east toward Marshall, and portions of Ansonville, Pfeiffer and surrounding areas) and said the substation would shorten long feeders and materially improve reliability for roughly 1,500–2,000 cooperative members in that part of the service territory.

A nearby property owner asked about buffer width between their property and the access drive; the applicant said the distance from the property line to the fence/pond area is about 100 feet on one side and roughly 200 feet on the other, and that trees around most of the fenced area are intended to remain. Multiple planning board members asked about siting alternatives; staff and the applicant said the proximity to an existing transmission main and distribution line made this location preferable because it avoids additional long line runs and excessive tree clearing.

The planning board moved to recommend rezoning with the conditions and site plan presented; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff noted required permits (stormwater, erosion/sediment control) and that the rezoning includes a five-year vesting provision. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for final action.