Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Board adopts 2232 finding and approves Courthouse Quarter (Quarter Horse) siting agreement and CUP amendment
Loading...
Summary
The Charlotte County Board adopted the planning‑commission 2232 finding and approved a negotiated siting agreement and conditional use permit amendment for the Courthouse Quarter/Quarter Horse solar project, including staged voluntary payments and convenience fees; the board recorded roll‑call votes.
The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution confirming the planning commission’s 2232 finding and approved both a siting agreement and a conditional use permit amendment for the Courthouse Quarter, also referred to in the record as the Quarter Horse project.
Staff said the project site is remote, surrounded by vegetation and buffers, and that the amended CUP reduces the previously approved footprint in some respects. County staff and project representatives described a negotiated siting agreement that includes phased voluntary payments (an initial payment tied to CUP approval, a payment on State Corporation Commission (CPCN) approval, and a commercial‑operation payment), convenience‑fee payments ($150,000 for the first three years, $50,000 in subsequent years in the draft), and other voluntary commitments that the developer agreed to as part of the proposal.
At the meeting the board adopted a resolution (a 2232 confirmation) stating that the project is substantially in accord with Charlotte County’s comprehensive plan and that the board would not exercise its right under Virginia Code §15.2‑2232 to override the planning commission. The roll call recorded Supervisors Smith, Chairman Walker, Supervisor Davis and others voting in the affirmative on that resolution.
After public comment (both supportive testimony about local jobs and small‑business opportunities and requests for strengthened decommissioning and hazardous‑waste safeguards), the board voted to approve the siting agreement and then approved the CUP amendment with the staff‑recommended conditions. The approved record includes staff‑proposed conditions related to buffers, erosion and sediment control, construction‑phase access and VDOT review, and periodic updates to the decommissioning plan with a requirement to begin decommissioning within one year of the end of operation.
Board members stressed continuing coordination with VDOT on safe construction access and with the county attorney on drafting final siting‑agreement language. The project team said it would work with local contractors and vendors and estimated a construction window of approximately 6–12 months after permits and agreements are in place.