Carver County board sends Watertown Township solar policy amendment to Metropolitan Council for review

Carver County planning staff asked the board to send an amendment to the county’s 2040 comprehensive plan to the Metropolitan Council that would recognize Watertown Township’s solar ordinance requiring large-scale solar projects to be on owner-occupied parcels.

Paul Moline, the county planning presenter, said the township adopted an owner-occupancy requirement in 2021 and later amended it after litigation with a solar company; the township requested Carver County add policy language to its chapter of the 2040 plan to acknowledge that local ordinance and the dual-approval process landowners would face. "Watertown Township zoning ordinance has been adopted to regulate solar development within the township and requires large scale solar developments to be placed on owner occupied land," Moline read into the record.

Staff recommended submitting the amendment to the Metropolitan Council for review; the board voted to do so. Commissioner Lynch moved to submit the amendment and Commissioner Fahey seconded the motion. Planning staff said the Met Council review would likely take about 60 days and the amendment would return to the board for final adoption; Watertown Township would have nine months to align its ordinance language to the plan language if the amendment proceeds.

The amendment recognizes that the township’s ordinance creates a dual process—township approval in addition to county permits—and staff noted it is a lawful action for the township to adopt more restrictive local rules. No public speakers addressed the item during the hearing, and the board closed the public hearing before voting to transmit the amendment.