Supervisors schedule another solar hearing

Solar-power facilities’ setbacks, especially to Union County’s tourist spots, highlighted discussion Monday before Union County Supervisors scheduled another public hearing about the related ordinance.

The hearing will be 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 15 in the courthouse. Supervisors agreed if the attendance is large enough, the hearing will be held in the courtroom which will require the audience to wear masks.

Solar-power facilities diminishing the experience of people who visit the county’s lakes and parks was questioned. Roger Vicker and Francine Ide, who have spoken to the board about ordinance details, wondered if the the one-mile setback from parks and lakes used in the wind turbine ordinance could be used for solar power.

“The outdoor tourist wants to live in the outdoors,” Ide said, wondering if view of solar-power facility would negatively impact their time at the lakes or parks. “It is such a draw,” she added about the popularity of Union County’s lakes.

Vicker said the one-mile setback would be applied toward 12 Mile Lake, 3 Mile Lake, Green Valley State Park, Mount Pisgah and all other like areas or parks.

The proposal was strongly questioned by Alliant Energy representative Justin Foss, calling it “unreasonable” and would be against the distance. He attended the meeting via telephone.

“No one would build a second project,” he said.

Earlier this year, Alliant proposed a solar-power facility east of Creston which forced the county to create an ordinance on the location and operation of such a project. Depending upon other factors, construction is not expected to begin until 2023.

Supevisor Rick Friday asked Foss what he thought a reasonable setback would be. Foss said that would depend upon a definition of a recreational area. For example, he said if hog confinements have a setback of 100 feet, to protect a park, he would not want any discrimination against solar-power facilities.

Without explaining further details, Foss said Alliant’s strategy is to avoid certain areas that are used by the public.

“We don’t want to put up solar power by a place of hunting,” he said. “Bullets and glass don’t mix.”

Supervisor Chairman Ron Riley said the county’s wind-turbine ordinance did discriminate against people who wanted one, but lived too close to an area where the ordinance stated a turbine could not be installed.

“There are people who live close to a lake that can’t have one,” he said.

Foss said the people Alliant contacted to build solar power are supportive of the project.

“We have interested and very enthusiastic landowners,” he said.

Vicker asked if a requirement to plant certain vegetation near solar-power facilities to block the view of the site by others could be considered. Foss called that an “easy solution.”

During the county’s public Oct. 25 public hearing about solar power, defining a industrial scale solar-power facility was discussed. Monday, Riley said the ordinance states any facility that generates at least 1 megawatt will be considered industrial.

Foss said it could be possible for a factory to install a 1 megawatt solar-power generator. And he said it is common for residential property owners to install solar-power generation of no more than 500 kilowatts

“Five-hundred-and-one megawatts may be a gray area,” Foss said.

In other county news...

Union County Public Health Director Zach Woods said the county had 37 new COVID-19 cases last week. The county’s seven-day positivity rate is 9.1%. The vaccination is 46%.

Woods said COVID-19 booster shots are available for those who are at least 65 years old. Booster shots are available for those 18 to 64 with underlying health issues. A booster clinic will be held Wednesday at public health. Booster shots for those who used Johnson & Johnson and are older than 18 are available. Booster shots for Johnson & Johnson should be held at least two months after the initial inoculation. Moderna boosters should be six months after the second dose.

Woods said there have been COVID-19 cases where people have lingering effects.