Planning commission backs 4.9 MW Wellington solar project, sends approval to council
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Summary
The commission voted 7–0 to recommend approval of CUP2025‑016, a 4.9‑megawatt solar facility sited in Whaleyville borough on an ~81.7‑acre parcel; staff recommended approval with conditions including noise and decommissioning requirements.
The Suffolk City Planning Commission on Dec. 16 voted unanimously to recommend approval of CUP2025‑016, a conditional‑use permit for the Wellington solar facility, a 4.9‑megawatt community‑scale project proposed for Whaleyville Boulevard.
Land‑use manager Caitlin Aubet told the commission the site is roughly 81.7 acres, with approximately 30 acres shown for the solar array inside a ~40‑acre fenced area, and that the applicant proposes to conserve mature vegetation as screening. Aubet noted recent amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance that set supplemental regulations for setbacks around inverters and transformers; the applicant’s concept plan locates equipment well within those setbacks and staff recommended approval subject to the conditions in the staff report, including compliance with a submitted visual‑impact analysis, a required noise study and a decommissioning plan.
Project representatives said the array would interconnect to nearby Dominion Energy distribution lines, that the inverters and transformers are centrally located with substantial woodland buffers, and that an Ascentec noise study shows operational sound levels about 15 decibels below Suffolk’s residential noise standard. Avery Clemens, the Traverton Energy development manager, said the facility would generate roughly the annual electricity equivalent for about 850 Virginia homes and that the project would occupy a small share of Suffolk’s agricultural land (staff estimated total approved solar would be 0.33% of the Agriculturally zoned acreage, well under the 1% cap).
Attorney Steve Romine and the project team said they had conducted extensive outreach and revised construction schedules to address neighbor concerns. No speakers registered opposition during the public hearing. After commissioners asked clarifying questions about the new 400‑foot setback rule and screening, the commission approved the application by a 7–0 vote and directed staff to forward the record and recommendation to City Council; staff scheduled the council hearing for Jan. 21, 2026.
If council adopts the CUP with the recommended conditions, the project will proceed to site‑plan review and permitting.
