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Rice County sets Nov. 6 public hearing on allowing solar production in Urban Reserve after debate over setbacks
Summary
The Rice County Board voted to publish intent and set a Nov. 6 Planning Commission public hearing on an amendment to allow solar energy production as an interim use in an Urban Reserve Industrial District after commissioners debated proposed setbacks and letters of objection from the city of Faribault.
The Rice County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 23 voted to publish intent and set a public hearing for 7 p.m. Nov. 6 on a proposed amendment to Chapter 508 that would allow solar energy production as an interim use in the Urban Reserve Industrial District.
Julie Runkel, environmental services, told the board the Planning Commission recommended a slightly revised proposal that grouped setbacks at 750 feet from city and township roads and 1,500 feet from county and state roads. “If the County Board chooses to move forward, we would ask for a motion to publish the intent to act and set the public hearing for 07:00 November 6 before the Planning Commission,” Runkel said.
Commissioners debated the proposal’s tradeoffs. Some members argued property owners should be allowed to use their land and that development of the urban reserve is likely decades away; others said the urban reserve designation exists to protect future industrial development and that the city of Faribault’s objections carry weight. An unidentified commissioner said the larger setbacks were proposed “so that there was room for industrial development still,” while another said the urban reserve “is there for a reason.”
The Planning Commission’s change sought to make the setbacks easier to administer while still preserving corridors for potential industrial development. Runkel confirmed other uses are normally allowed in the district but that solar energy production would be an interim use requiring this amendment.
The board approved the motion to publish intent and set the Nov. 6 public hearing; the motion carried. The public hearing will be held before the Planning Commission, where members of the public and affected jurisdictions, including representatives who submitted letters from the city of Faribault, may comment before any final county board action.
The next formal step is the Nov. 6 Planning Commission hearing and any subsequent return of the item to the county board for final action.
