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Board reviews solar siting agreement, defers final setbacks to public hearing
Summary
Supervisors reviewed a proposed siting agreement for a solar project, discussed reduced lists of affected properties, road and bridge constraints, tenant notification and a nearby cemetery, and agreed to finalize setbacks after the public hearing Monday.
The Nottoway County Board of Supervisors on March 12 spent significant time reviewing a proposed siting (performance) agreement for a utility‑scale solar project and agreed to leave substantive setback decisions for the public hearing scheduled the following Monday.
Board members said staff and the developer provided a revised map and exhibits that narrowed the number of affected habitable dwellings to a smaller set than earlier drafts. Supervisors noted six houses within close footage of panels and highlighted three trailers on Harper Road where the recorded owner has died and tenants now occupy the properties. Members pressed staff and the developer for direct outreach to those landowners and for clearer on‑the‑ground maps to be displayed at the hearing so residents could see proposed access roads, setbacks and adjacent features such as a cemetery reported near one parcel.
Supervisors also raised practical concerns about construction logistics: several access bridges carry four‑ton limits, some roads are narrow with sharp curves, and contractors will require lay‑down yards and off‑road parking. Board members discussed whether existing tree buffers should be counted as screening and emphasized that developers ordinarily must provide their own screening rather than rely on neighboring landowners’ trees.
On procedure, staff clarified that the public hearing advertised is for the siting agreement and related performance terms; if the siting agreement does not pass, subsequent public hearings on related permits would not proceed as scheduled. Supervisors agreed they could adopt an amended siting agreement Monday (reducing acreage and the number of panels) or move setbacks to accommodate objections raised by nearby residents.
The board directed staff to confirm notification procedures for tenants versus owners (tax records go to owners) and to attempt targeted outreach to the small set of affected properties before the hearing. The hearing will give residents a chance to describe site‑specific concerns and for the board to consider amendments before taking any formal vote.
