Neighbors raise disposal and buffer concerns as SolUnesco refines Randolph Solar plan
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Summary
At a Nov. 16 meeting, Charlotte County residents urged caution over solar development and disposal of panels while SolUnesco said it is refining the Randolph Solar plan and meeting adjacent landowners; staff reported Randolph and Tall Pines reviews are on hold pending more detailed plans.
CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE, Va. — Neighbors urged the Charlotte County Planning Commission on Nov. 16 to consider the long-term disposal and local impacts of large-scale solar installations as the developer of the Randolph Solar project said it is revising its site plan and reaching out to adjacent property owners.
The issue surfaced during the public comment period, when citizen George Toombs told the commission he was concerned about "issues associated with solar including the disposal of panels" and said he believed the county was "heading in the wrong direction." Francis Hodsoll, CEO of SolUnesco, told commissioners his company has met with county staff and a third-party reviewer and is "working to refine the Randolph Solar site plan" and is "meeting with adjacent landowners to evaluate buffers and discuss their concerns."
Why it matters: The commission is reviewing conditional use permits and related site plans for proposed utility-scale solar projects that would affect nearby properties and natural resources. How the county addresses setbacks, buffers, public outreach and end-of-life plans for panels could shape where and how solar arrays are sited in largely rural Charlotte County.
During public comment, P.K. Pettus asked what "doing solar in the right way" meant, saying the commission had not expanded buffers in response to new data, had not addressed access issues following an accident at the Twitty's Creek entrance, and had not accepted the Berkley Group's recommendation on the Randolph Solar 2232 review. Commissioners acknowledged those concerns and heard from SolUnesco that the developer is revising its concept plan in response to reviewer comments.
At the end of the meeting staff reported that SolUnesco had requested the Randolph project review be placed on hold to allow time to respond to the third-party reviewer and staff for a more detailed concept plan; NOVI Energy had made a similar request for the Tall Pines project. No formal approval or denial was taken on either project at the Nov. 16 meeting.
The commission did not adopt any changes to zoning or project approvals at the session; developers will return with revised materials for further review.