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Saline County sends battery energy storage zoning language back to planning commission after public concerns
Summary
County commissioners voted to send a proposed amendment to the zoning code — which would allow battery energy storage systems (BESS) in unincorporated Saline County via conditional use permit — back to the planning commission for revision after extensive public comment on setbacks, site size, insurance and testing requirements.
Saline County commissioners on April 1 directed staff to return a proposed resolution that would add battery energy storage systems (BESS) to the county zoning code to the planning commission for further review.
The measure would amend chapter 13 to permit BESS in unincorporated Saline County through the conditional use permit process and sets baseline standards including a maximum single-site area of 20 acres adjacent to an electrical substation, setbacks based on NFPA 855 chapter 9, a $1,000,000 general liability requirement and a conditional-use duration tied to a typical 25-year project life. Tim Hamilton, the county planning and zoning administrator, told commissioners that the planning commission recommended approval after public input and that staff supported the resolution as drafted.
The vote to send the resolution back to the planning commission followed more than an hour of public comment. Dozens of residents urged revisions to the draft ordinance,…
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