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Council reviews zone‑change ordinances, including contested battery‑storage proposal
Summary
The council received Planning Commission reports on several zone‑change ordinances: two came with favorable recommendations while Ordinance 2602 (Johnson Sand & Gravel Farms) and a late‑filed battery‑storage proposal (Ordinance 2605) came to the council with no Planning Commission recommendation after public controversy and questions about prior approvals for an adjacent solar project.
Council staff presented multiple zone‑change ordinances and described mixed Planning Commission recommendations.
The Planning Commission representative told the council Ordinance 2602 (Johnson Sand & Gravel Farms, A‑1 to M‑1) came forward with no recommendation after a long, contentious town meeting and that additional public comment and security were needed at the Planning Commission hearing. The representative thanked sheriff’s personnel for providing safety and noted the meeting was streamed for public record.
Ordinances 2603 and 2604 (Plank properties) were reported as receiving favorable recommendations and unanimous 7‑0 votes by the Planning Commission.
Ordinance 2605, a late item seeking CD zoning for a battery storage facility from Bank Potter Family Limited Partnership / Foundry Works Storage, also arrived at the council with a no‑recommendation finding. Councilors questioned whether the parcel had been included in the original solar‑farm special exception and whether prior approvals for solar panels contemplated energy storage, which may be a different land use. One council member urged reconvening the ordinance committee to address lighting, setbacks and other special‑exception conditions that could apply to future data‑center or energy uses.
"This is a zone change ordinance, just like any other zone change ordinance, where it's motions, a second, discussion, and vote," one councilor said as staff noted there is not a public hearing at the council stage and that the Planning Commission previously took public comment.
The transcript records discussion and requests to return to committee rather than a final council decision on the battery‑storage proposal in this session.
