Planning commission approves 2-year extension for 3 MW Courthouse Highway solar permit

The Isle of Wight Planning Commission on a 6-3 roll call vote on a June 2025 evening approved a two-year extension of a conditional use permit for a 3-megawatt utility-scale solar facility proposed at 16419 Courthouse Highway.

The extension applies to the Courthouse Highway Solar 1 LLC project on an 18-acre parcel and moves the permit’s establishment deadline from November 2025 to November 30, 2027, while staff recommended and commissioners agreed that no further extensions be allowed. Commissioners also added a condition that developers offer subscriptions to the shared-solar project first to Isle of Wight County residents.

Trenton Blow, a planning staff member, told the commission the application is only for additional time and that “no changes to the layout, capacity, or development of the project are proposed.” He said the original conditional use permit (CUP) was approved by the board in November 2023 and that the CUP requires the use be established within two years of that approval. Staff recommended approval of the extension with the condition that the project be established by Nov. 30, 2027 and that no further extensions be granted.

Jessie Robinson, the project developer, said the company is not changing the project and seeks more time because the project is on Dominion Energy’s shared-solar wait list. “We just need some more time, to start construction on the project,” Robinson said, explaining the developer must hold a final interconnection study and an awarded capacity from Dominion before beginning construction. Robinson said the project is a 3-megawatt shared-solar facility that would allow Dominion customers to subscribe and receive savings, and estimated the project could support roughly 600 to 800 subscribers with savings of about 10% to 20% on subscribers’ monthly bills.

Several residents spoke against the extension. Jean Doggett Moody, who said she lives about a half-mile from the proposed site, opposed prolonging the permit and said a solar facility is incompatible with the Isle of Wight Courthouse Village Center’s character. “I still contend … that a solar facility does not fit the description of the Isle of Wight Courthouse Village Center,” Moody said. David Tucker, who identified himself as living in District 3, urged the commission to deny the extension on policy and land-use grounds.

Michael Dahlgett, the property owner whose land is the proposed site, urged approval, saying the project will move forward and that an extension allows orderly planning. After public comment, commissioners questioned the developer about the wait list, site-plan timing and subscriber outreach. Robinson said the developer estimates starting the site-plan process in April 2026 if capacity is released by July 2026 and that the developer would typically advertise subscriptions by late 2026 or early 2027.

Commissioners made a motion to approve the extension with staff-recommended conditions and an added condition that subscriptions be offered initially to Isle of Wight County residents; the motion was seconded and carried on roll call: James Ford, Raynard Gibbs, Matthew Smith, Keith Johnson, Brian Shotwell and Bobby Bowser voted yes; Jennifer Boykin, George Ross and Bridal Carroll voted no. The motion passed.

The CUP amendment does not change the project footprint, layout or capacity, and the developer must still submit and obtain site-plan and stormwater approvals and satisfy all department reviews before construction. Staff said no additional external reviews were required for this amendment because it seeks only more time.

The commission’s approval sends the amended CUP and staff recommendations, including the subscription condition and the Nov. 30, 2027 establishment deadline, forward as required by the county’s review process.