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Charlotte County planning commission agrees to separate solar map, requests watershed and acreage verifications
Summary
At a March 28 work session, the Charlotte County Planning Commission reviewed draft Chapters 3 and 4 of the comprehensive plan, asked staff to verify a state forest acreage figure, agreed by consensus to produce a separate solar projects map, and requested added watershed and zoning layers.
The Charlotte County Planning Commission on March 28, 2023, reviewed draft updates to Chapters 3 and 4 of the county comprehensive plan and agreed by consensus to create a separate map for proposed solar projects while asking staff to verify the state forest acreage figure shown in the draft.
The meeting, held at the Charlotte County Administration Office, opened with a presentation from representatives of the Commonwealth Regional Council. Todd Fortune of the Commonwealth Regional Council gave an overview of the draft future land use map and solicited commissioner input on additional layers and features to include.
Lauren Jones, also with the Commonwealth Regional Council, said the CRC had contacted the towns of Keysville and Drakes Branch about policies to protect their reservoirs. "The Town of Drakes did not have policies in place," Jones reported, and the consulting firm Hurt & Proffitt provided recommendations regarding buffer zones, zoning and drainage. Commissioner Kenny Howard added that Keysville is planning specific recreational uses at its reservoir and is developing related policies.
Commissioners discussed how the draft map should show proposed large-scale solar projects. Staff cautioned that mapping projects before they have an approved final site plan could misrepresent footprints and that multiple anticipated applications may require frequent map updates. To address those concerns, the commission decided by consensus to include a separate solar map rather than placing unapproved project footprints on the main future land use map.
The commission also recommended adding wetlands, Village Center Districts and Residential Zoning District layers to the future land use map. A potential growth corridor at the intersection of Highway 360 and Route 47 was noted for further study, but discussion of that corridor was postponed so local Planning Commission representatives could provide input.
CRC staff asked whether map data from the Department of Conservation and Recreation and federal mapping resources could be incorporated into Section 3 to support a watershed map; commissioners supported that addition and requested that creeks be shown for clarification. Commissioners also requested that staff verify the acreage of state forest referenced on Page 96 of the draft.
The commission tentatively scheduled the next work session for April 25. The meeting concluded without formal votes on the map recommendations; staff were directed to return with the requested verifications and any additional data for the next session.
