More than 30 people turned out for a Monday meeting to weigh in as Woodbury County officials consider changing the permitting process that could govern where utility-scale solar energy systems could be created in rural portions of the county..
On the heels of recent months where many rural Woodbury County residents said they want wind turbines kept many several miles away from towns, also underway now is a discussion of whether any future utility-scale solar systems might have some restrictions.
Dan Priestley, the Woodbury County Zoning Coordinator, on Tuesday reported to Siouxland Public Media that there are currently no proposed solar systems for the county.
He said the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in August put in place a procedure for people to add home-sized solar systems. Now, the supervisors want to proactively address zoning rules for the possibility of larger sized solar units that a utility company may want to build in the future.
Priestley said 14 people spoke at the meeting held over 90 minutes in Moville by the Woodbury County Zoning Commission, who are gathering information for the county supervisors. Some who spoke were supportive of utility-scale solar energy systems so long as they have guidelines, while others were opposed.
“We had some who were not for it. They thought it would change the aesthetic of rural life,” he said. “We had a mix. It was a helpful meeting to hear what the public has to say. The whole point was to glean as much perspective as we can.”
How big might a utility-scale solar system be? Priestley said many run from 15 to 30 feet high, and take at least a few acres of land. He said the county supervisors recently said it might be worthwhile to consider a 20 feet high maximum.
The Center for Rural Affairs, Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative, and the Land and Liberty Coalition were among the entities who weighed in prior to the meeting in written comments.
The CFRA wrote, “Solar projects generally have low minimal impact on land quality, and land can be returned to farming at the end of the project’s life if desired.”
Priestley said county officials understand that this fall is a busy time for harvest season, so they want to take their time in gathering public input. He said a recommendation for possible changes to the Woodbury County Zoning Ordinance to address the permitting process for solar systems in industrial or agricultural areas could go to the county supervisors by December.
“This comes down to whether this would be a fit on ag land or not,” Priestley said.
Priestley said current county Conditional Land Use permitting regulations hold that people living within 500 feet of a project in unincorporated lands that is going through the county zoning commission must be contacted, in case they want to weigh in. That 500 feet benchmark could be expanded, he said, or other restrictions such as fencing could be put in place.
The Woodbury County Zoning Commission will hold a second public hearing about the regulation of utility-scale solar energy systems. That meeting will be held in the Woodbury County Courthouse in downtown Sioux City on Sept. 25.
