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Planning commission votes to recommend 150 MW 'Tobacco Trail' solar project to supervisors with conditions
Summary
After presentations and more than an hour of public comment, the Prince Edward County Planning Commission voted 5–2 to recommend Tobacco Trail Solar LLC’s 150 MW special‑use permit to the Board of Supervisors, while deleting two draft conditions tied to surety reduction and transfer. The board will hold a public hearing before a final decision.
The Prince Edward County Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended that the Board of Supervisors consider a special‑use permit for Tobacco Trail Solar LLC, a proposed 150‑megawatt solar energy facility covering about 2,300 acres, sending the application forward with conditions after a 5–2 roll‑call vote.
The motion to recommend approval, adopted after presentations from county staff, a third‑party reviewer and the applicant, removes proposed language in two draft conditions (identified as conditions 39 and 40) that would have allowed reduction of the required surety when a facility is transferred to another owner. Commissioners voted: Perry — yes; Gilliam — no; Fuller — yes; Copeland — yes; Hart — no; Hogan — yes; Prangaman — yes.
Why it matters: the proposal would site approximately 610 acres of solar panels inside a fenced compound, disturb roughly 500 acres for stormwater controls and preserve about 1,100 acres as tree cover or open space, according to the applicant and staff materials. The developer says the project represents…
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