Arapahoe County approves rezoning to allow proposed 5-megawatt Lowry solar site

The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners on April 22 approved a conventional rezoning for a 56.7-acre parcel near East Quincy Avenue and South Gun Club Road to allow a small solar facility.

The move, passed by motion and voice vote after a staff presentation and developer remarks, changes the parcel’s zoning from mixed use to A-1 (agricultural) to permit a 5-megawatt small solar facility that Sunshare LLC has proposed for the Lowry Trust buffer property.

Molly Orkel Larson, principal planner with the Public Works and Development Department, told commissioners the proposal complies with the Lowry Trust master plan and Arapahoe County’s comprehensive plan and that referral agencies raised no concerns. "Based on the findings in the staff report, staff is recommending approval for the conventional rezoning of this property," Orkel Larson said.

Bo Scott, development manager for Sunshare, said the parcel is one of five buffer parcels owned by the Lowry Environmental Protection Cleanup Trust Fund and that a successful rezoning would "encourage the development of a community solar facility in an area where development is otherwise incredibly difficult." He said Sunshare holds a purchase option on the land and that the eventual facility would interconnect to the Smoky Hills substation about a mile south.

Commissioners asked technical and land-use questions during the hearing. Commissioner Baker moved to approve the rezoning, citing the staff report and the applicant presentation; Commissioner Campbell seconded. The motion included one condition: prior to signature of the final plans, the applicant must address all Public Works and Development staff comments and concerns. The motion passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Sunshare described community solar as a distributed system that would push energy onto local distribution lines and offer subscription opportunities primarily to Xcel Energy customers in the area; the developer estimated a 5-megawatt facility typically serves roughly 1,200 to 1,400 homes depending on usage. The company said the proposed project is conceptual at this stage and will require a separate land-use permit and plan review before construction.

Planner Orkel Larson noted the site received a 6–0 recommendation from the county planning commission and that a required neighborhood meeting on Nov. 15, 2023 drew no adjacent-property attendees. The staff report lists adequate access, emergency services, and electrical service; the applicant said the planned foundation piers are shallow and would not involve deep drilling into the site.

Next steps: the developer must address the staff comments listed in the final plan condition. If Sunshare pursues the project, it will return to county review for land-use permitting, engineering review, and any required utility interconnection approvals.