ANDERSON – For greater than two years, there was an try to create a brand new ordinance in Madison County to manage photo voltaic vitality services. A brand new ordinance could also be launched within the spring.
Debate over a brand new ordinance started when Madison County accepted the Lone Oak photo voltaic facility in northern Madison County, which remains to be on maintain pending a choice by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Fee in March.
Brad Newman, former director of the Madison County Planning Division, offered a draft proposal in 2021, however county officers by no means formally acted on it.
Larry Unusual, director of the Planning Division, advised the County Plan Fee on Tuesday that he hopes to have a brand new draft ordinance accomplished by June.
Unusual stated on the fee assembly that he wish to have a collection of open homes to get enter from county residents.
He stated open homes could possibly be held in Anderson and every within the northern and southern elements of the county.
“We will begin the outreach course of in January and February,” Unusual stated. “I can refine the ordinance in March and April.”
He stated the Plan Fee might vote on a brand new photo voltaic ordinance in Might or June to make a suggestion to the Madison County Commissioners for ultimate adoption.
Unusual stated he needs to current proposed modifications to the county’s present photo voltaic ordinance.
“I’ll have a draft ordinance in February,” he stated. “On the subsequent assembly, I can current what’s proposed.”
Plan Fee member John Simmermon stated there are different firms photo voltaic vitality initiatives within the county.
“I am undecided they’re conscious of the proposed modifications,” he stated.
The Plan Fee ordered Unusual to draft a brand new photo voltaic ordinance proposal and never use the draft accomplished by Newman.
Newman’s proposed ordinance features a property worth assure, limits industrial photo voltaic farms to twenty% of prime agricultural land within the county and limits on what zone classification a undertaking can obtain. .
Giant photo voltaic vitality initiatives will likely be allowed in areas zoned for industrial use.
Photo voltaic vitality initiatives are prohibited in any space of the county zoned for residential use and are permitted with particular makes use of in areas zoned for agriculture, conservation residential, parks, native industrial, common and freeway industrial.
The ordinance requires a 200-foot setback from adjoining property strains and requires any developer to carry not less than one group informational assembly.
catheter Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or name 765-640-4863.
