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Caroline County staff brief commissioners on solar projects, burial site and possible change to 2,000-acre cap
Summary
County staff briefed commissioners on multiple planning items May 27: pending PSC hearings for two solar projects, a temporary halt after human remains were found at one site, screening adjustments at another, and a staff proposal to review the county’s 2,000-acre solar cap.
County staff on May 27 updated Caroline County commissioners on several planning and permitting matters, including pending Public Service Commission hearings, a discovery of human remains at a solar site that paused construction, neighborhood screening adjustments for an approved solar array, and a staff-initiated discussion about the county’s 2,000-acre solar cap.
The county administrator reported that recreation and parks staff are finalizing bid documents and SHA permitting materials for North County Park. Staff also said a Sharp Road project remains under review by the Soil Conservation District and that county planners are monitoring response times.
On solar developments, staff said the Public Service Commission will hold a virtual hearing on the Halo solar project (about 30–34 acres in Goldsboro) on June 10; a separate in-person PSC hearing for a Traverse/Trev[erton] solar project near Federalsburg is scheduled for June 12 at 6 p.m. The administrator reported that screening issues raised by an adjacent property owner at another solar site have prompted the developer to add plantings and make modifications within the bounds of previously approved plans.
Construction at a Cherrywood (Traverton) parcel was temporarily halted after human remains were uncovered during excavation; staff said the burial sites advisory committee has been notified and the appropriate actions are underway.
The administrator and commissioners discussed revisiting the county’s 2,000-acre cap on solar development and whether future ordinances should restrict new utility-scale solar on land that is classified as prime agricultural soils or land of statewide importance. The administrator said she would work with planning staff to develop possible code language and to estimate how much county acreage is designated as prime agricultural or statewide-important soils to inform policy options.
Commissioner Porter also noted that local residents have started circulating a referendum petition related to state energy bills that affect county authority over land use; commissioners discussed the petition logistics and indicated interest in broader county discussions about solar policy. The board did not take immediate regulatory action but directed staff to return with draft language for commissioners to consider.
