Planning commission recommends disapproval of proposed Columbia Road solar farm

Columbia County Planning Commission on June 5 recommended disapproval of a rezoning request to convert two PUD parcels on Columbia Road into S-1 (special) zoning for a proposed solar farm (file RZ25-0606), voting to forward that recommendation to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners.

Staff recommended denial, saying the parcels lie within a neighborhood character area intended for residential uses and that the proposed setbacks and buffers were smaller than the county’s typical requirements for major utility/industrial uses. Danielle (planning staff) told the commission the proposal shows a minimum 50-foot setback adjacent to residential properties and a smaller road setback than staff would ordinarily require.

The recommendation mattered to dozens of residents who spoke at the hearing, many expressing concern about property values, aesthetics, runoff and flooding, and long-term maintenance. Donald Taylor said the project would convert a residential area “to industrial” and lower property values. Paige Rivera, a Bartram Trail resident, said the neighborhood had been planned for residential and compatible commercial uses and asked the commission to deny the rezoning. Multiple speakers cited possible impacts to nearby creeks, views from higher lots in Ivy Falls and surrounding subdivisions, and hurricane vulnerability.

The applicant and supporters urged the commission to approve conditions instead. Property owner GB Sharma described long carrying costs and said the site had been difficult to develop as housing; he asked the commission to approve the project with the staff’s recommended conditions. Warren Kritka, representing Bijan Solar, said Georgia Power issued an RFP and the site shows available hosting capacity on three-phase lines; he described a 35-year purchase contract with decommissioning at the end of the term and said the project could use U.S.-made inverters and nonreflective panels. Kritka also said routine maintenance would involve limited traffic and ordinary soap-and-water cleaning.

Technical clarifications aired in the meeting: staff flagged steeper topography and proximity to established neighborhoods; the applicant’s plan showed a 50-foot minimum buffer adjacent to homes and roughly a 200-foot offset from Columbia Road centerline in places. The applicant said array poles would be about five feet in height and that panels would be nonreflective; the developer also committed to specifying U.S.-made critical components to address security concerns raised by a commenter who referenced Department of Energy findings about undocumented components in some solar inverters.

After public comment and applicant responses, a commissioner moved to recommend disapproval of the rezoning request; the motion passed by voice vote. The commission’s recommendation is advisory; the Columbia County Board of Commissioners will take the final zoning decision at a later meeting.

The proposal drew sustained public participation and detailed staff review. Staff recommended denial because the planned utility-scale use would be inconsistent with the county’s neighborhood character guidance and because the proposed setbacks and buffers were smaller than staff would expect for a major utility in a residential context.