Planning commission forwards Powhatan Road community solar project to supervisors with recommendation for approval

The King George County Planning Commission voted to forward application Z2025‑00304 for the Powhatan Road solar project to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for approval.

Staff introduced the application as a special‑exception permit to place a medium‑scale, roughly 4.99‑megawatt solar facility on about 24 acres of a 158‑acre parcel at 8375 Powhatan Road. Project manager Kara Romaine said the array is intended to participate in the Virginia shared‑solar program, allowing Dominion Energy customers to subscribe and receive roughly 10% monthly bill savings; she estimated the project could serve about 1,000 homes and said the developer has a fully executed interconnection agreement with Dominion Energy.

Why it matters: Commissioners weighed potential local benefits — property‑tax revenue, new income for a long‑time farmer and community solar subscriptions — against construction impacts raised by neighbors, including noise, truck traffic on narrow roads and effects on nearby equine boarding and training operations.

The applicant described mitigation measures: a 30‑foot planted buffer with 6‑foot trees at installation to reduce visibility, erosion‑ and sediment‑control and stormwater plans to be reviewed by Virginia DEQ before any land disturbance, a third‑party decommissioning plan with a bond and a commitment that piles will be removed to a depth consistent with state standards (up to 36 inches). Romaine characterized the site as “grazing ready” (agrivoltaics) and said large‑scale herbicide application would not be used. On construction, she said pile driving is typically the loudest activity but expected pile driving to last “about 10 to 15 days” within an overall 6–9 month construction timeline.

Public comment reflected mixed views. Supporters noted that the proposal uses only a small portion of the land, that the landowner (Larry Carr Jr.) has farmed the property for decades and that a decommissioning bond is in place. Neighbors and nearby equine businesses raised concerns about pile driving noise, scheduling of large deliveries on Powhatan and Port Conway roads (school‑bus routing was emphasized), and potential disruption to horse training operations. One commenter urged tighter limits on construction hours; another urged prioritizing local residents for early subscription access.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about the Department of Defense review (noting its EMF and compatibility focus rather than equipment sourcing), whether panels were U.S.‑sourced or FEOC‑compliant, lighting, buffer composition, stormwater controls and road‑repair obligations from heavy hauling. The applicant and staff said DEQ and VDOT approvals, a construction management plan and a construction management condition (including a pre/post construction road evaluation and repairs as necessary) are required in the draft conditions.

Financial and tax details were discussed in depth: staff identified the project’s capital equipment value at about $11,000,000 and cited an estimate of roughly $278,000 in combined tax revenue referenced earlier in the packet. Staff explained that machine‑and‑tools (M&T) tax is depreciated under state schedules; the planning packet breaks out about $213,000 in M&T tax revenue over the life of the equipment with additional real estate tax estimates (about $65,000) reflected in the packet, producing the cumulative figure cited.

Motion and vote: A commissioner moved to forward Z2025‑00304 to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for approval and to find the project in substantial accord with the comprehensive plan; the motion was seconded. The commission recorded a majority of yes votes, one no vote and one abstention and the motion carried. The application will proceed to the Board of Supervisors for final action.

Next steps: The applicant and local counsel have scheduled a site visit with Powhatan Plantation stakeholders; DEQ and VDOT reviews and the Board of Supervisors hearing will follow. The planning commission also encouraged applicants to coordinate construction deliveries around school‑bus times and to consider targeted community outreach for subscription sign‑ups.