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Commission approves concept plan for county solar array at Dixon Lane with setback reduction
Summary
The commission voted to approve a concept site plan for an 8.44‑acre ground‑mounted solar array on a county‑owned 38.5‑acre parcel (S230014). Staff said the array's energy will offset county facility loads; the developer sought a reduction of setbacks from 200 to 100 feet in exchange for supplemental landscaping. The commission approved the concept and delegated final signatory authority to the chair, 5–0 with one abstention.
Amy Barcroft, Bureau of Development Review, presented S230014 (Dixon Lane Solar), a concept site plan for a 38.5‑acre county‑owned parcel east of Route 97 that proposes 8.44 acres of ground‑mounted photovoltaic panels for the county's aggregate energy needs.
Barcroft noted the site sits in the Freedom District's designated growth area and is zoned Employment Campus. "This property contains large farm fields surrounded by a line of woods around the perimeter of the parcel," she said, and staff reported the plan has concept stormwater approval, a proposed on‑site forest conservation easement and reviews from fire protection, engineering and health.
Developer representatives from Standard Solar and Becker Morgan Group described the project and a proposed cellular‑confinement access road intended to reduce new impervious area; the access road will be 18 feet wide and lead to a gated facility entry. Standard Solar proposed a 7‑foot agricultural fence around the array and a 20‑foot landscape buffer; because landscaping was offered, the developer requested a code‑allowed setback reduction from 200 feet to 100 feet along the eastern and northern property lines.
A motion to approve the concept plan as submitted, with the chair authorized to sign final documents unless significant changes were required, passed on a roll call recorded as five yeas and one abstention.
Why it matters: the project expands the county's portfolio of facility‑sited solar installations intended to reduce energy costs for county‑owned buildings; the commission's setback modification was tied to supplemental landscaping intended to screen the array from adjacent uses.
Next steps: staff will process final reviews (public facilities adequacy, grading, utilities) and the chair will be authorized to sign final approvals unless major changes are needed.
