Commissioners debate scope of solar zoning ordinance after drafters' concern it protects property lines not residents

A lengthy discussion at the Feb. 24 Daviess County commissioners meeting centered on the new solar zoning ordinance and whether the rules reflect the drafting group's intent to protect existing nonparticipating residents.

A county commissioner who said she had worked on the ordinance from the start told colleagues she believed the rule was intended to create setbacks measured from existing residences, not from property lines. "If we wanna effectively kill solar fields in Daviess County and we wanted 2,500 feet from property lines, so be it," the commissioner said. "That just wasn't the intent."

Commissioners and planning-board members reviewed the ordinance's history in public meetings and confirmed the current text uses a 2,500-foot measurement from property lines. The speaker said the change was discussed in advisory-commission hearings and that no one acted improperly, but she urged clearer communication so the public does not mistakenly attribute the stricter standard to the drafting group.

Supporters of the stricter setback said the measure reflects a cautious approach to large-scale solar, including concerns about long-term site maintenance and decommissioning. The transcript record notes the ordinance includes bonding requirements to address potential abandonment, though commissioners acknowledged uncertainty about the adequacy of those bonds for very large installations.

No formal amendment to the ordinance was proposed or voted on during the meeting. Commissioners said that any group seeking a different setback should organize and present a proposal to the board.

Next steps: the ordinance remains in force as written; the board did not take immediate action to change setback language at this meeting.