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Charlotte County engages Berkley Group to develop solar policies for comprehensive plan
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Summary
At a Nov. 22 work session, the Charlotte County Planning Commission and staff said the Berkley Group will develop solar policy for the county's comprehensive plan; the CRC will continue work on other plan elements. A kickoff was held Nov. 21 and a draft plan is targeted for July 2023.
Second Vice‑Chairman Eugene Wells opened the Charlotte County Planning Commission work session on Nov. 22, where county staff and the Commonwealth Regional Council discussed how the draft Comprehensive Plan will address solar development.
Todd Fortune, deputy director of the Commonwealth Regional Council, said the CRC will continue covering most plan elements while the county retained the Berkley Group specifically to address solar policy. Fortune said the Berkley Group’s work will focus only on solar development and that any recommended solar policies would be incorporated into the draft plan in the chapter(s) the commission directs.
Staff and CRC staff reported a project kickoff meeting with the Berkley Group occurred on Nov. 21 to define roles and schedule. Staff said an initial work session with the Berkley Group is tentatively scheduled for January or February 2023, with the county hoping to have a draft plan available in July 2023.
Fortune asked the commission whether solar policy should be placed in Chapter 4 (land use) or handled in the plan’s special considerations chapter; commissioners discussed the placement and scope but did not make a binding decision at the session.
The commission did not set a work session for December after discussing holiday scheduling.
Next steps: staff and the CRC will continue drafting plan chapters and coordinate the Berkley Group’s solar work; the commission will revisit placement and specific solar policy recommendations in subsequent sessions.