Carbon County staff flags major deficiencies in proposed Mahoning Township solar park; commission sends comments to township

Planning staff told the Carbon County Planning Commission that a land‑development plan submitted by Milo Enterprises to build a commercial solar energy facility in Mahoning Township contains several major deficiencies and “precludes any recommendation for approval” unless the applicant supplies missing documentation and addresses technical concerns. The commission voted to forward staff comments to the Mahoning Township supervisors.

The staff presentation summarized the plan and the review. The plan proposes up to about 10.08 acres of earth disturbance to construct a ground‑mounted commercial solar facility with arrays shown on the plan as 5,400 panels; the applicant told Mahoning Township supervisors there could be “approximately 5,800 to 5,900 solar panels,” a discrepancy staff said must be confirmed before approval. The plan shows a connection to an existing PPL pole and a transformer location; staff said transformer specifications and electrical conduit details were not sufficiently documented.

Planning staff cited wetlands and floodplain concerns. “Portions of the proposed land development and access driveway are located within the 100‑year floodplain as established by FEMA,” staff said in their review excerpted to the commission. Staff also noted an on‑site sewer line easement and a PPL utility easement running through the parcel, and that the entire lot contains delineated wetlands. Staff said the township’s conditional use approval (Mahoning Township Board of Supervisors, 02/12/2025) does not replace required county or state permits.

Why this matters: staff said the project requires multiple agency approvals to proceed safely and lawfully, including a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) for stormwater associated with construction activities because earth disturbance exceeds one acre, and review and concurrence from the Carbon County Conservation District. Staff warned that inadequate stormwater design could route runoff into Mahoning Creek, which the review described as a high‑quality cold water fishery.

Staff detailed missing items and nonconformities: a complete perimeter survey showing bearings and distances; surveyor seal and owner certification; a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan; full stormwater calculations and a drainage plan meeting township standards; a preliminary resources and site analysis; a transportation plan addressing roads and bridges used during construction and maintenance; evidence of adequate firefighting water supply and fire apparatus access; and documentation that underground electrical conduit will be installed at depths that will not impede proposed stormwater or driveway structures.

Staff said local access is a constraint: the planned site access would use a paved driveway from Ashtown Road across property where access was granted by a private bus company. Reviewers also flagged a single‑lane stone bridge on Ashtown Road as vulnerable to heavy construction traffic and recommended evaluating road and bridge capacity, possible road bonding, and financial assurance to address potential damage.

On emergency access and site layout, staff wrote that the plan shows no fire lanes between panel arrays and no demonstrated method for emergency or maintenance vehicles to reach arrays on steep slopes; they requested documentation showing how emergency responders and maintenance crews could reliably access the site.

On routing and equipment, staff asked the applicant to confirm the final number of panels and provide transformer specifications and the proposed routing of underground conduit to the PPL pole so conflicts with the sewer easement and stormwater outlet can be avoided.

Commission action: The Planning Commission voted to transmit staff reviewer Ivan’s comments to Mahoning Township for consideration. The motion passed.

Next steps and caveats: Staff recommended the plan be reviewed as a preliminary major land‑development plan because township rules lack a final minor land‑development procedure for this type of commercial solar project. Staff noted that if the noted conditions cannot be adequately addressed or mitigated before preliminary plan approval, they recommend rejection of the project as submitted. County staff emphasized the project will require county and state permits (Carbon County Conservation District, PA DEP/NPDES) and township compliance before final approval or recording.

Planning staff said their review and the commission’s action were intended to inform Mahoning Township supervisors and the applicant and to identify items that must be resolved before the commission or township can grant final approval.