Residents press Allegany County officials on proposed Helmstetter Curve solar farm; county says state law limits local zoning control

Residents near the former Helmstetter Curve Farm urged the Allegany County Board of Commissioners to oppose a proposed solar installation they said would place about 15,000 panels on a hillside facing Cache Valley Road and permanently alter a scenic view shed.

Greg Donaldson, a physician and long‑time Cache Valley resident, told commissioners he attended an informational meeting with the developer and said the owner responded to a solicitation and has already received some compensation. Donaldson said the developer told him anyone in Potomac Edison’s service territory could subscribe to the project and that non‑local subscribers could fill sign‑up slots before Allegany County residents.

“I want to express my concern about a proposed solar farm for the former Helmstetter Curve Farm,” Greg Donaldson said. He described talks with the developer and said the project would place 15,000 panels on the hillside adjacent to multiple homes and could harm tourism and views that attract visitors.

Denny and Sue Milozis, who said they live directly across from the site, told the commission they will “lose from our front porch the most amazing views of green fields” and that the panels would be “15,000 shiny, glaring solar panels encased by a 7 foot fence.” They said they had not been able to identify a way to screen the panels from view because of the hill’s height.

County officials responded that the local authority to exclude solar siting by zoning is limited by state law. “Since 2019, the Maryland appellate courts decided a case called the perennial solar case, out of Washington County, that essentially preempts local zoning when it comes to, particularly solar projects,” County Attorney Beeman said. Beeman said the county cannot fully control where solar projects are sited but can comment to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) on development standards such as setbacks, buffering and frontage requirements when the developer files for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN).

Beeman said the county’s planning and zoning staff are reviewing how the proposed project would conform to local development standards and that the commissioners will be notified when the developer files a CPCN application. He told residents the PSC process typically includes two hearings — often one virtual and sometimes one local — and encouraged citizens to participate and submit comments during that administrative review.

Administrator Bennett said the county expects the developer to submit a CPCN application sometime this summer, around July, and that the county will post PSC notices and county meeting notices on the county website when available.

Residents and local stakeholders urged commissioners to work with state and federal delegation offices and county staff to coordinate a response. Several speakers noted the area’s tourism value — including the Great Allegheny Passage and Mountain Maryland promotion — and said a larger utility‑scale project on reclaimed mine land would be preferable to siting panels on a neighborhood hillside.

No formal action was taken by the commissioners tonight; county officials said they would provide comments in the PSC process and continue outreach with delegation offices.