Council hears proposal for property-value guarantee around utility-scale solar; APC sent it unfavorably, committee forwarded without recommendation

Council-initiated Bill 17-25 would add a property-value guarantee for nonparticipating property owners located near utility-scale solar projects and require developers to enter agreements with nearby owners and maintain a surety bond for the life of a project.

Area Plan staff briefed the committee that the proposed ordinance would apply the guarantee to properties within three miles of a solar installation and would require an upfront set of privately executed agreement forms and an appraisal process described in the draft form. APC members and several public commenters raised concerns that the scope singled out solar projects, that the three-mile radius is large for a largely rural county and that the mechanics of appraisal and enforcement needed clarification.

Petitioner and council member proponents cited a recent sale near a planned solar project where the sales price declined after neighbors learned of the nearby solar proposal and argued that rural, bucolic properties can suffer market losses. Opponents noted mixed evidence about property-value impacts from utility-scale solar and warned that singling out solar while exempting other large projects could be disproportionate.

APC sent the item unfavorably (5–3); the Land Use Planning Committee forwarded the text amendment without recommendation to the full council. Committee members noted that reducing the radius to one mile, applying the requirement only to large-scale solar, or exempting industrial districts were options that staff had discussed but they could not amend the text at committee because APC had reviewed the original wording.