Residents tell supervisors of solar-project encroachment and warn about old lightning arrester after roadside fire

Several Lancaster County residents used the March 26 public-input period to raise local safety and property-rights concerns.

Susan Marsh of District 2 said a solar project under construction near her farm has repeatedly encroached on private parcels, with crews cutting trees not part of the project, using private drives without permission and leaving materials and drain pipes on neighbors' land. She asked the board to require the company to remain inside approved boundaries, remove materials and address noise and property-rights impacts.

Bailey Loving described a March roadside fire that Northern Neck Electric later attributed to a failure in an old ceramic lightning arrestor on a pole in front of her house. She said the device detonated without lightning present and that the utility could provide no maintenance records or replacement schedule; while she suffered no damage beyond burned grass, she urged the county to press for answers because the older devices use small charges to blow a component away and can ignite fires.

Steve Kidd said he recorded contractor activity encroaching on his private property and described confronting a driver; he asked the county to investigate.

County leaders said staff have visited at least one site already and would follow up. Supervisors advised residents to seek police assistance for immediate trespass or safety incidents, and one member suggested contact with the State Corporation Commission for utility-safety information.

Next steps: county staff will follow up with site visits, investigate alleged encroachments and coordinate with the county administrator and appropriate agencies to get more information from the utility where warranted.