Commissioners approve expansion and special-use permit for Laurel Crest Solar project

Scotland County commissioners approved a conditional rezoning and a special-use permit for Laurel Crest Solar, allowing a 50-acre expansion of an existing solar facility in the county.

Tom Terrell, attorney for the applicant (Cypress Creek/Cypress Creek Renewables), introduced the proposal as an expansion of a previously approved solar farm. Michael Forte, senior project developer, told the board the company would exceed the county's vegetative buffering standards, commit to plantings that reach 10 feet within three years (instead of five), and increase setbacks along the school side from 50 feet to 100 feet. He also said the applicant would provide independent construction monitoring during installation.

Mike Storch, Cypress Creek external affairs manager for the Southeast, and technical and appraisal witnesses testified and submitted reports. Appraiser Nick Kirkland said his market-analysis conclusion was that the proposed expansion "would not have any impact on adjacent property values" and cited paired-sales studies and tax-assessor surveys used in his professional analysis.

Developers and their experts also addressed decommissioning. The applicant stated it would comply with county bond requirements and federal/state law; the witnesses referenced North Carolina's 2023 decommissioning law (House Bill 130) and said their contracts and the county bond requirement would ensure equipment removal and site remediation in the event of project abandonment. The applicant said the decommissioning plan would be reviewed and updated periodically and that a bond sufficient to cover decommissioning costs (125% of decommissioning cost minus salvage) would be maintained.

During the quasi-judicial hearing, the board swore in witnesses, reviewed submitted exhibits and heard public comment. Commissioners asked for clarifications on wetlands avoidance, vegetative buffers, construction access points and the decommissioning bond calculation. The applicant said panels would not be placed in wetlands and that power-line routing and access points had been designed to avoid sensitive areas.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the rezoning from residential/agricultural to conditional zoning and then a second motion approved the special-use permit for solar arrays; both motions passed by voice vote. The transcript shows the board voted "aye"; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting record.

The applicant estimated an in-service date around 2029 based on interconnection and procurement timelines and told the board the project team would continue coordinating with the local school system on construction timing and traffic management.

Board members and staff noted that exhibits and expert reports were part of the record and that the project would be subject to the special-use conditions and the county's final permit review and bond requirements.