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Lunenburg planners find Wheelhouse Solar proposal substantially in accord with county plan
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously April 6 to deem Wheelhouse Solar’s 60 MW, 676-acre conditional use permit application "in substantial accord" with the Lunenburg–Kenbridge–Victoria Comprehensive Plan after a staff report, a developer presentation and public comment largely in support.
The Lunenburg County Planning Commission voted April 6 that Wheelhouse Solar’s CUP-8-22 application — proposing a 60-megawatt utility-scale solar facility across nine parcels totaling about 676 acres northwest of the Town of Victoria — is substantially in accord with the county’s comprehensive plan.
Garrett Weeks, a representative for Palladium Energy, presented the project and described how the application aligns with zoning and future land use maps, special policy areas (including protection of water sources and loss of agricultural land) and county goals such as economic development and job creation. Weeks identified areas the applicant expects to fence and develop and noted compliance plans for required setbacks and buffers.
Chairman James “Buck” Tharpe and other commissioners pressed applicants and staff on environmental and property-value concerns. Tharpe said the project would not be a "cleaner environment" in some respects because of tree removal and stressed careful review of screening and decommissioning plans. Commissioner Trent said the project’s location "is off the road, it runs with the power line, and it is financially beneficial for the County." Staff noted an apparent discrepancy between the property’s total acreage (676 acres) and the in‑fence acreage (reported as 373 acres), explaining the difference comes from how setbacks and buffers are accounted for in the project footprint.
Several citizens and written commenters registered support for the application; no speakers listed in the sign-up sheet opposed the project at this meeting. After a staff report from Lindsay Edwards of the Berkley Group, Commissioner Trent moved and Commissioner Thompson seconded a motion to deem the application in substantial accord with the Lunenburg–Kenbridge–Victoria Comprehensive Plan. The motion passed by roll call with each commissioner present voting in favor.
The commission indicated the conditional use permit public hearing is likely to be scheduled for the May 16, 2023 meeting, at which the permit conditions, buffers, and technical permit requirements will be reviewed in greater detail.
