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Board denies battery storage request for Sewell IPP property, citing incompatibility with agricultural easement
Summary
The Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board voted to deny a request to place a utility-scale battery storage facility on 9.76 acres of the Sewell IPP easement after staff said the use is not accessory or compatible with the property's agricultural easement.
The Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board on May 26 denied a request to site a single utility-scale battery storage facility on the Sewell IPP #02-22 easement.
Staff told the board the proposed facility would occupy about 9.76 acres of a 482.36-acre easement property and recommended denial because battery storage is not an accessory or compatible use with the agricultural activity protected by the easement. The requested lease would have been between the landowner, Mr. Sewell, and Verdant Shores Development Partners, LLC; Mr. Sewell and an agent from Verdant Shores provided testimony during the agenda item.
Vice Chair Lisa Gaver moved to accept staff’s recommendation to deny the request; Brenda Ripley seconded. The board recorded a vote in favor of denial.
Why it matters: Easement restrictions define what nonagricultural uses are permitted on preserved land. The board’s denial preserves the easement’s agricultural compatibility criteria for the Sewell property.
Next steps: The denial closes the board-level request documented in these minutes; any further land-use or lease proposals would need to conform to easement terms or seek other approvals.
