Goodhue County tables conditional-use permit for 35-acre solar project amid decommissioning and parcel-split concerns

The Goodhue County Board of Commissioners on an on-the-road meeting at the Cannon Valley Fair tabled action on a conditional-use permit for a utility-scale solar project proposed to cover about 35 acres of a 120-acre parcel owned by David and Mary Winkle.

Planning staff presented the application and recommended materials; the Planning Advisory Commission met June 16 and recommended approval. Megan Smith, land-use staff, told the board the applicant submitted a decommissioning plan and a 25-year lease with five-year renewal terms and that the file includes the project narrative, construction plan and soil information. Smith said the county’s solar energy system ordinance appears in Article 19 of the county zoning ordinance and that the project is on property zoned A-1 in Cannon Township. She also noted state-level reporting and permitting obligations and recommended conditions the commission could attach, including a…