Planning commission recommends approval of Sun Basin 3 solar project despite resident concerns

On Jan. 9 the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of CPA 2024003 and Z2024040, allowing development of a 520-acre solar energy facility called Sun Basin 3 on Arizona State Trust land south of Naramore Road and west of 300 and 39th avenues near Arlington.

County planning staff told the commission the site is owned by the Arizona State Land Department, that the project sits in a region where several utility-scale solar facilities already exist, and that staff supports the general plan amendment and zone change with conditions a through h as updated on a Jan. 7 handout. Planning staff said the applicant has supplied an “enhanced setback” that creates a no-build area adjacent to the Arlington residential community and has coordinated with the Arizona Game and Fish Department on fencing that includes small ground-level gaps to allow some wildlife passage.

The application prompted public comment from nearby residents.…