Houston County commissioners disapprove Silicon Ranch solar special-exception after public hearings

The Houston County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Sept. 3 to disapprove Special Exception #2797, a request from Silicon Ranch Corporation to establish a solar energy system in the county.

Commissioner Sharon Robinson moved to disapprove the application; Commissioner Eric Gottwals seconded the motion, and the board carried it unanimously. Company representative Matt Beasley spoke in favor of the development; the record shows a number of residents spoke in opposition, including Ben Carr, a University of Georgia graduate student who studies black bears in middle Georgia. The minutes list at least a dozen public commenters opposed to the project.

County Attorney Tom Hall had reminded applicants earlier that board approval of a home-occupation or special-exception application does not override private neighborhood covenants. Commissioners framed their vote around the information available at the hearing. Robinson said she "felt it was not appropriate to move forward, with the information available, regarding the Silicon Ranch project and the company." Gottwals said the county must protect certain local priorities, adding, "there are some special things that we need to keep intact about our County, including the land, wildlife and, most importantly, the people in Houston County." Commissioner Byrd noted the difficulty of balancing property rights and environmental concerns and cautioned that repeating untrue statements "does not make it true; it makes it propaganda."

The disapproval means the applicant cannot proceed on the basis of this special-exception application; any future proposals would require a new filing. The minutes do not record an alternative mitigation plan or a follow-up staff directive tied to this item.