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Larimer County planning commission backs 2 MW ‘USS Welch’ solar project with conditions after neighbors raise horse and noise concerns
Summary
The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a House Bill 1041 permit for the 2‑megawatt USS Welch solar project subject to 41 staff conditions covering construction traffic, stormwater, glare, and post‑construction noise monitoring. Neighbors including an equestrian facility sought stronger buffers and further mitigation for horses.
Larimer County planning commissioners on Oct. 15 recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve a 1041 review for the USS Welch solar facility (file 25‑Zone‑3793), a distributed‑generation solar project proposed on a roughly 29.3‑acre parcel adjacent to Highway 287 east of Berthoud.
Scott Ben, Larimer County environmental planner, told the commission the project qualifies for a 1041 review because it will disturb about 28 acres of the site. He said the project has been scaled to limit disturbance, and staff concluded the application satisfies the county’s Article 4 and 10 review criteria subject to the conditions listed in the staff report.
Applicant Haley Ballantine, a project developer with U.S. Solar, described the USS Welch project as a 2‑megawatt distributed generation installation with panels occupying about 12.3 acres and a project fence set back roughly 150–200 feet from nearby property lines. Ballantine said the array will use anti‑glare coatings and single‑axis…
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