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Building department: 33 permits, $13.1M valuation in March; damaged community solar site under review
Summary
Lee County’s building department reported 33 permits in March totaling $13,139,258 in valuation and $61,003.31 in fees, including a $50,000 Pulse solar project item; commissioners asked about a damaged community solar array on Red Brick Road and learned the code allows revocation after 12 months if not operational.
Joe, the county building official, told the committee the building department processed 33 permits in March with a combined valuation of $13,139,258 and permit fees totaling $61,003.31, noting that $50,000 of the permit valuation was tied to the Pulse solar project on Kilgore Road.
“...the building department processed 33 permits with a total valuation of $13,139,258, and a total of permit fees is $61,003.31,” Joe said as he presented the monthly billing report.
Commissioners raised concerns about a community solar array on Red Brick Road that was damaged by wind and had been sitting unrepaired for roughly two to two-and-a-half months. Committee members asked whether the county code imposes deadlines for repair, whether projects carry surety bonds, and who conducts ongoing inspections for large solar farms.
Alice (staff/planning) explained that the installation in question is technically a community solar project because it is under five megawatts. She said the code does not specify an exact repair timeframe but allows the county to pursue revocation of approval if a project is non-operational for 12 months; because the damaged site was still producing, Alice said it currently did not meet the 12-month threshold for revocation. She also noted that for larger projects the county could hire an engineer for post-construction inspections and that the developer/owner typically runs ongoing maintenance and monitoring.
Members asked staff to look into ownership and surety for the damaged array and to report back with next steps. Joe and other staff committed to follow up on inspection responsibilities and whether third-party inspection or enforcement action is warranted under existing code.
What happens next: Staff will investigate the damaged solar array’s ownership, whether a surety bond can be drawn on for repairs, and report back on inspection and enforcement options. The county also has a solar ordinance pending that could clarify timeframes and inspection requirements for future projects.
