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Macomb council approves special-use permit for large-scale solar with conditions
Summary
Council granted a special-use permit for a large-scale solar project on a parcel in Macomb's extraterritorial zoning area after a public hearing and a Planning Commission 6-2 recommendation; council attached conditions including panel relocation, added vegetation buffer, and a required stormwater study.
The City of Macomb approved a special-use permit to allow a large-scale solar installation at a parcel located on North 1515 Hundredth Road (parcel ID 07-000-226-25) in the city's extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction.
City staff told council the application was filed by Ginger Solar LLC (owners Tim and Kimberly Banks Bankston) and Cultivate Power LLC. Planning Commission held a public hearing on Nov. 19 and voted 6-2 to recommend granting the permit with conditions. The council's motion to concur carried on second reading. Council members noted an inconsistency between the agenda address and the ordinance text; staff confirmed the ordinance address is the correct one and the property ID in the packet is correct.
Conditions the council recorded include relocating blocks of panels from the northwest corner to the eastern border, requiring an additional vegetative buffer along the southern border, and completion of a stormwater study with site plans to comply with recommendations and Macomb Municipal Code; the project must be constructed in substantial conformance with the approved site plan.
Alderman Dorset and others thanked staff and noted public input taken at the planning hearing; the council moved to adopt the ordinance to issue the special-use permit and to update the city's zoning map as applicable.
Why it matters: the permit authorizes a utility-scale solar project in the city's extraterritorial area, with site-specific conditions intended to address neighbor concerns about screening and stormwater. The permit will allow the developer to proceed with required studies and final site-plan approvals.
What happens next: the developer must complete the stormwater study and comply with site-plan conditions; the city will update zoning maps to reflect the permit.
