Mecklenburg supervisors reject 7 Bridges Solar siting agreement and deny 80‑MW permit after months of hearings

The Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors voted May 12 to reject a siting agreement with 7 Bridges Solar LLC and, after a separate hearing, to deny a special‑exception permit to build an 80‑megawatt solar facility near Chase City.

The board first voted to reject the siting agreement offered by the developer; a later roll‑call vote approved a motion to deny the special‑exception permit. The denial cites staff findings that the proposed project would place panels on roughly 435 acres inside a larger 1,249‑acre property that includes areas mapped as prime farmland and forest with high ecological value and that the site lies near the South Meherrin River, a tributary to the Maherrin River.

Why it matters: The votes stop a project Long Road Energy has been developing since 2017 that the company and supporters described as a local source of renewable electricity, a multi‑million‑dollar revenue stream for Chase City and the county, and a construction‑period jobs generator. Opponents argued the site threatened water quality, historical resources and farmland, and that prior solar projects in the region had caused erosion and other lasting impacts.

Long Road Energy and backers outlined changes they said addressed community concerns. Cliff Sher, development director…