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Continental Paving outlines 15–16-acre solar plan for Concord Sand & Gravel pit; seeks waivers on landscaping, lighting
Summary
Continental Paving and consultant Joe Maynard presented a preliminary design review for a 15–16 acre solar array within an existing 76‑acre sand and gravel pit, asking the planning board for input on potential waivers for landscaping, lighting, parking and driveway requirements before submitting a full site plan.
Joe Maynard, a consultant with Benchmark LLC, told the Loudoun Planning Board on a May 2025 design‑review that Continental Paving plans to build a solar farm inside an existing sand and gravel operation known as Concord Sand and Gravel.
Maynard said the Loudoun portion of the mine amounts to about 76 acres and that the proposed solar array would occupy roughly 15 to 16 acres of an already‑excavated area. He said Continental has received a conditional use permit from the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the solar use and sought the planning board’s feedback before completing final design and permit drawings.
The developer asked the board to consider waivers for several site standards given the special character of the site. “Being that this is a gravel pit, there’s a good stand of screening that exists now between us and our neighbors,” Maynard said, arguing that planting landscaping inside the existing excavated area would “defeat the purpose” by shading the panels. He also asked whether the board would require new driveways or parking inside the Loudoun portion, noting that the site is already accessed from Pembroke and that on‑site offices, restrooms and utilities are located outside the Loudoun parcel.
Maynard said the project team does not plan to install perimeter fencing at this time, citing existing buffers around much of the parcel and limited incidents of vandalism to the owner’s other operations. He also said he did not anticipate installing nighttime illumination around the panels. On stormwater, Maynard said the plan would include loaming and seeding as part of reclamation and the creation of an infiltration pond at the site’s low point; he said an alteration‑of‑terrain (AOT) permit and updated drainage calculations would be produced as part of final design.
Board members asked practical questions about access, grading and wildlife. One member asked whether the panels would be pedestal‑mounted and whether animals could get under them; Maynard replied the panels are pedestal‑mounted and said site operations would allow mowing under the panels. He also said the parcel slopes roughly 5 percent north to south and that only “minor grading” would be necessary to smooth the array footprints.
Maynard said Continental is coordinating with the utility for interconnection; he noted three‑phase power is available near the portion of the property formerly housing an asphalt plant and that the interconnection point will influence final engineering. He said the contractor the owner plans to use has done similar installations elsewhere and that the owner is pursuing another site in the state.
No formal action or vote was taken during the design‑review. Maynard left the meeting saying the applicant would incorporate board input and return with a formal application and supporting permit documents.
