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Charlotte County defers Tall Pines solar zoning confirmation amid concerns over dams and financial conditions
Summary
The Board unanimously deferred action on Dominion’s Tall Pines Zoning Confirmation Letter to allow review of land‑disturbance plans (including dam/exclusion zones) and financial timeline language; Dominion says construction will start Q2–Q3 2026 and the company may seek extensions if delays occur.
The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 unanimously deferred action on a Zoning Confirmation Letter (ZCL) for the Tall Pines Solar project after supervisors said they needed clearer plans for land disturbances and financial-condition language.
Why it matters: Supervisors pressed Dominion representatives for specifics about a no‑disturbance buffer and how water‑management dams would be built and protected. The Board asked Dominion to add explicit language addressing Condition #2 (Dam Exclusion Zone) and Condition #14 (Financial Timeline) to the ZCL before the matter returns in February.
Dominion representatives Alex Rendon and Rebecca Sanderson said the ZCL clarifies a 36‑month construction timeline and allows Dominion to request up to two 12‑month extensions if delays are not caused by Dominion. Sanderson told the Board construction would start in “Q2/Q3 2026” and that using a 2031 completion year would account for potential PJM delays without affecting the project’s funding or commercial operation date. Rendon said the company expects to meet the 2031 completion target.
County officials—echoing public comment from James “Buck” Tharpe, chairman of the Southside Soil and Water Board—requested more detail on how dams and other water‑management features will be sited and constructed so they are structurally sound and not adversely affected by construction. Vice Chairman Noah Davis asked Dominion to formally document how it will address those concerns; Chairman Walter T. Bailey said he wanted a full set of land‑disturbance plans and the payment schedule included in the ZCL language.
Action taken: Vice Chairman Noah Davis moved—and Supervisor Henry Carwile seconded—a motion to defer final confirmation until the Board’s February meeting so members can review the land‑disturbance plans for the entire project and revised ZCL language. The motion passed with all members voting aye.
Next steps: Dominion will present detailed land‑disturbance plans and revised ZCL language at the Board’s February meeting, per the motion.
