Stafford supervisors approve Enon Road solar farm after contested public hearing

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved a conditional use permit for the Enon Road Solar Farm and a companion decommissioning agreement on April 1, voting 5-2 to allow solar arrays on a 36-acre Hartwood District parcel.

The project, proposed by development firm ESA, will place roughly 12.7 acres of solar arrays behind security fencing and retain the western half of the site as a conservation area, the applicant said. "The Enon Road project will span, across approximately 16 acres...and it will provide power for about 600 homes," said Kara Romaine, development manager at ESA. Planning staff recommended approval with conditions including perimeter screening, setbacks and a recorded decommissioning agreement.

Supporters argued the project balanced local conservation with new clean energy and subscriber savings. Opponents focused on visibility, water-runoff and long-term site-restoration concerns. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 4-3 in February.

Staff and the applicant said the design was revised repeatedly in response to public input: panel coverage was reduced, panel heights lowered and a conservation area was set aside. County conditions call for a 50-foot planted buffer where existing vegetation does not provide screening, perimeter setbacks of 75 feet from property lines, panel heights limited to 10 feet within 400 feet of residences (15 feet beyond that), and woven-wire security fencing 8 feet high. The resolution also requires a recorded decommissioning agreement and a financial assurance to cover removal and site restoration; the applicant’s current estimate for decommissioning was approximately $167,000, and the proposal included a $42,000 phased cash contribution to the county for capital needs.

Public commenters were divided. Several nearby residents and members of local civic groups opposed the project, citing potential groundwater and stormwater impacts and concerns about visibility. Other neighbors and representatives of the applicant described the site’s conservation features and noted the project participates in Virginia’s shared-solar model that allows Dominion Energy customers to subscribe for bill savings.

Supervisor discussion focused on the buffer request and the mechanism that would ensure the county recovers potable water or otherwise protects utility capacity if a separate regional reuse system is delayed. Planning director Mike Saraf told the board that "staff does recommend approval, with the recommended conditions." The board approved both the decommissioning agreement and the conditional use permit by 5-2 votes.

The permit authorizes the solar arrays and the county will record the decommissioning agreement before the facility comes into operation. The applicant and county staff said they will proceed to final site plan and permitting work; construction timing depends on state and local permitting and on procurement timelines.

If built as proposed the arrays would be grouped in fenced enclosures and planted with low-growing native groundcover, with conservation and wetlands avoided and preserved. The county’s conditions also require emergency-response coordination and limit construction hours.

The board’s action allows the applicant to move to the next permitting steps. County staff said they will monitor site-plan compliance, erosion control and the posted financial assurance for eventual removal and restoration.