Lunenburg planning commissioners find Dogwood Lane 4-MW solar project substantially in accord with county plan

The Lunenburg County Planning Commission voted unanimously March 3 to find that Dogwood Lane Solar LLC’s proposed 4-megawatt photovoltaic facility is substantially in accord with the Lunenburg-Kenbridge-Victoria Comprehensive Plan, the commission’s chairman said.

At a 15.2-2232 hearing required by state law before consideration of certain zoning amendments, Commissioner Walter Thompson moved and Commissioner Cecil Shell seconded the motion that the project meet the “substantial accord” test; the roll call vote was unanimous (James "Buck" Tharpe, Edward Pennington, Brenda Jennings, Cecil Shell, Tony Trent and Walter Thompson voting yes).

The finding does not itself approve a conditional use permit; it determines whether the project may proceed through the local review process. Chairman James "Buck" Tharpe read the hearing notice, which described the project as a medium-scale, 4 MW community solar array sited on two A-1 zoned parcels totaling 32.48 acres on Dogwood Lane and accessed near Route 40 west of Kenbridge.

Justin Vanderbroeck of ESA Solar, the applicant’s consultant, presented the project and told the commission it is being developed under Virginia’s Shared Solar program. Vanderbroeck said the site has been timbered, that existing peripheral vegetation will be preserved, and that maintenance visits would occur one to two times per week. He described a fixed-tilt, south-facing panel layout roughly 9 feet in height and said the project team is pursuing interconnection to the Kenbridge substation; necessary upgrades to the substation will be at the applicant’s expense and an interconnection agreement with Dominion is expected within one to two quarters.

"There is not a lot of light or noise at night," Vanderbroeck said while describing the project’s operational impacts. He also said the developer provided site and landscaping plans and expects to comply with state and local requirements including the Department of Environmental Quality and Soil and Water regulations.

Michael Zehner of The Berkley Group provided the staff report summarizing the project description and specific Comprehensive Plan policies the application implicates, including sections on solar facilities, loss of agricultural land and open space, protection of water resources and corridor development. Zehner presented staff analysis, conclusions and options for the commission.

One resident, Richard W. Harris of Kenbridge, spoke in support of the project during public comment, saying he hoped the commission would look favorably on the developer.

Commissioners’ comments supporting the motion cited the site’s utility access, the county’s interest in environmentally friendly industrial uses, buffering and setbacks to mitigate incompatibility with adjacent residences and agricultural uses, preservation of existing tree cover along the site perimeter, and favorable topography for development. Chairman Tharpe noted that because of the site’s proximity to an airport a glint-and-glare study was completed and "there is no concern." Commissioner Tony Trent asked about the community meeting and packet materials; staff confirmed Chairman Tharpe and Clerk Taylor N. Newton had attended the community meeting.

The commission also handled routine business: it approved February minutes unanimously, received the Director of Planning and Economic Development’s monthly report, heard a brief update from Assistant County Attorney Drew DiStanislao on the Event Venue Definition and Ordinance under old business, and adjourned at 7:37 p.m. The next meeting was announced for April 7, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

The "substantial accord" finding allows the applicant to proceed with subsequent local zoning review and any conditional use permit process; it is not a conditional use permit approval. The record notes that specific CUP conditions, final site plan approval, and required interconnection upgrades remain to be resolved.