Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solar Setbacks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yankton County planners hear strong public push to keep 660-foot solar setback; no change tonight
Summary
Residents and a former task-force member urged Yankton County planners not to reduce the 660-foot setback for solar farms from lakes, rivers and streams, citing public concern and limited scientific study; commissioners discussed the issue but took no action.
TYLER LARSON, the county's representative of the state's attorney's office, opened a statutorily required review of open-meeting rules and flagged a separate request to revisit the county's solar energy conversion system setbacks from waterways. Staff described that some neighboring counties use a 100-foot setback while Yankton County's current ordinance sets a 660-foot buffer.
During public comment, Diane Hobden — who attended meetings of the county's earlier solar farm task force — urged the commission to retain the 660-foot setback, saying the ordinance is less than two years old, "has yet to be tested," and was the product of extensive task-force work. State senator and former planning commission member Lauren Nelson likewise defended the current standard, calling 660 feet "a compromise" that protects adjacent and downstream landowners and noting early studies that have found "detectable enrichment in soils closer to panels." Nelson also urged using the term "ordinary high water mark" when defining setback distance.
Staff noted the ordinance already contains design requirements such as compliance with NPDES soil erosion and sediment control rules and a requirement that installations be fully fenced. Commissioners asked who had requested the review and whether housing or developers were driving the inquiry; staff characterized it as a request to review the ordinance and said further investigation could be pursued.
Several commissioners said the ordinance had been the product of multiple task forces and public meetings and cautioned against reopening a recently adopted regulation without new, compelling evidence. One commissioner proposed creating a new task force to develop long-term county land-use strategy, but no formal motion to form a task force or to change the setback was made.
The planning commission ended the discussion without taking action to amend setback distances at this meeting; commissioners said the item could be raised again in the future.
