St. Joseph County Council approves property‑value guarantee for large‑scale solar with 1‑mile radius, excluding industrial zones

St. Joseph County Council passed an amended text change to the county land‑use code that requires large‑scale solar developers to enter property‑value guarantee agreements with nearby owners and to post a surety bond covering 20% of the assessed value of properties within a 1‑mile radius.

The measure, introduced as bill 17‑25 by Councilman Dan Schutzel, was approved as amended on a 5‑4 vote after more than two hours of public comment and legal questioning from council members and counsel. The council amended a version that initially proposed a three‑mile radius and broader coverage.

The amendment narrows the radius to one mile, limits the requirement to large‑scale ground‑mounted solar systems (county ordinance defines large‑scale as systems with more than 40,000 square feet of panel area), and exempts projects located in areas zoned industrial. The ordinance requires developers to execute a written property‑value agreement with property owners within the one‑mile zone and to provide the county with a surety bond in the amount of 20% of the assessed value of the properties within that radius. The text also supplies a standard form that the county would expect developers and owners to use.

Councilman Dan Schutzel, the petitioner, said the changes were meant to protect property owners while not burdening small rooftop or farm systems. "The three major changes are the three‑mile radius is reduced to one mile, the ordinance does not apply to areas that are zoned industrial, and the ordinance only applies to large‑scale solar energy systems," Schutzel said at the meeting.

Area Plan staff described how the guarantee would be…