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Sunshine and clouds mixed. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds light and variable..
Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
The Halifax County Planning Commission is expected to make a recommendation to the Halifax County Board of Supervisors on a proposed large-scale solar facility and permit application for a proposed recreational vehicle park at a joint meeting of the boards Tuesday evening.
The meeting will get underway at 6:30 p.m. in the second-floor public meeting room of the Mary Bethune Office Complex.
Dominion Energy Virginia is proposing the 90-megawatt solar facility, “Clover Creek Solar,” on Dryburg and Ashcake Creek Road. If approved for operation, the solar facility would generate enough energy to power 22,500 homes at peak output. Clover Creek Solar is part of an overall plan by Dominion Energy Virginia ultimately to develop enough renewable energy to power 4 million homes.
The site of the proposed solar facility is located in the eastern part of the county bordering Charlotte County, along the Staunton River. The property is zoned A-1, agricultural, and currently is used for timber and agricultural tracts. It includes 26 parcels of land encompassing 1,533 total acres, with 841 acres to be used for the solar panels.
If approved, the solar facility would start operating by the end of 2026. The facility would be enclosed with security fencing at least 6 feet in height with barbed wire at the top of the fence.
A public hearing will be held prior to the planning commission voting on a recommendation for the conditional use permit application. The planning commission also will make a recommendation on a solar facility siting agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia.
Dominion Energy Virginia previously held a community meeting on the Clover Creek Solar project on May 25, with 22 people in attendance. Attendees expressed concerns about the project including proximity to their property, project timeline and construction schedule.
A rezoning permit application for a proposed RV park at the old Clover School property at 1085 Mt. Laurel Road also is on the table at the joint board meeting. The landowner, Wayne Ford, is requesting the rezoning of the parcel of land from R-1 residential to A-1 agricultural for the purpose of operating an RV park.
A public hearing on the rezoning permit application for the RV park will be held prior to the planning commission’s vote on a recommendation on the matter.
Another matter the planning commission will consider at Tuesday’s meeting is a rezoning application for eight parcels of land from B-2, commercial to R-1, residential. A public hearing will be held on that rezoning application, as well, prior to the planning commission taking action on a recommendation.
The parcels of land are located on Halifax Road, Avondale Drive and Webb Street. The properties are located in a residential subdivision with all other properties in the subdivision being zoned as R-1, residential. The county’s planning and zoning administrator, Detrick Easley, wrote in a letter to the rezoning permit applicants that the zoning of their properties as B-2 commercial when the surrounding properties was zoned as residential likely was done in error.
Following the planning commission’s recommendations at Monday’s meeting, the board of supervisors is expected to meet with the planning commission once again at 4 p.m. Aug. 25 to take action on the recommendations.
Miranda Baines is a staff writer for The Gazette-Virginian. Contact her at mbaines@gazettevirginian.com.
Miranda Baines is a staff writer for The Gazette-Virginian. Contact her at mbaines@gazettevirginian.com.
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