Charlotte County planning commission flags solar, energy storage and data centers for comprehensive plan update

At a Feb. 22 work session, the Charlotte County Planning Commission discussed public comments and new topics to include in its Comprehensive Plan update.

Todd Fortune, deputy director of the Commonwealth Regional Council, presented a summary of the Jan. 25 community input session held at the Charlotte County Courthouse and said security staff counted 45 attendees. Fortune told commissioners that the comments from that session will help shape questions for an upcoming community survey to capture broader public input.

Chairman Andrew Carwile asked about obtaining GIS shapefiles and mapping transmission lines rated above 64 kilovolts to identify areas for potential utility-scale solar development. Commissioners discussed the idea of mapping land within two to three miles of identified transmission lines to evaluate suitability for solar projects.

Commissioners also addressed recreation needs raised at the community session, noting existing basketball courts at the middle and high schools and new recreational spaces at Phenix and Bacon District elementary schools as amenities to account for in the facilities inventory.

Carwile inquired about whether the Department of Forestry maintains a commercial timber map that could help planners distinguish parcels used for commercial timber production from other land. Fortune said he will incorporate the request into mapping and data-gathering tasks for the plan update.

The commission identified solar development, energy storage and data centers as topics that will receive further attention during the update. Fortune said the community survey will reflect issues raised in January and help staff and the commission prioritize next steps.

The commission tentatively scheduled the next work session for March 22 at 6:00 p.m. and adjourned the Feb. 22 meeting.