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Residents urge delay and stronger safeguards for solar projects, citing water, habitat and safety concerns
Summary
Five residents spoke at the June 18 public hearing opposing the draft ordinance or urging delay, calling for stricter buffers, bonding, water storage, and studies to protect habitat, groundwater, and property values.
Multiple residents used the public hearing to press the Planning Commission for stricter safeguards before forwarding the ordinance. Carrie Clark asked for a maximum panel height of 10 feet with no variance, "mandatory 20,000-gallon on-site water storage," and a minimum $1 million bond; Rick Hanley raised habitat loss, toxic leaching and water-availability concerns; Damon Gray urged additional study and raised concerns about outside corporate influence; and Kevin Collins cited the Moss Landing, California battery-storage fire as a cautionary precedent that evacuated more than 1,200 residents.
Speakers framed their requests as protections for neighbors and long-term land restoration rather than opposition to renewable energy in principle. Commissioners and staff noted the state-law timeline and technical/financial mitigations discussed earlier in the meeting, and the public testimony will be part of the record forwarded with the Commission's recommendation.
