Rezoning decision brings solar farm one step closer to reality

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Council members passed first reading of an ordinance last month that could see the county get its first solar farm. The ordinance rezones a property on U.S. 15 South near Paxville from Agriculture 1 to Agriculture 2. "Basically, this is two tracts totaling 429.7 acres, north of Paxville in Clarendon County," said Epperson. "The purpose of this rezoning is to allow for the placement of solar farm activity on the parcel. In passing first reading, County Council went against the recommendation of the Clarendon County Planning Commission, which rejected the rezoning request after hearing from neighboring residents. "After they reviewed the matter and heard presentations, they did not recommend rezoning the property, but council can still approve it," said Epperson. He noted that, in order to rezone a piece of property under the county's Unified Development Code, that the proposed rezoning must be "consistent with the goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan." "When we look at the situation and this requests, all elements that the UDC requires are met in this situation and are consistent with our goals under the UDC," he said. Epperson said that neighboring residents expressed concern about any nuisance that might be caused by a solar farm abutting their properties. "This tract is almost entirely naturally buffered by pine trees and vegetation, and the owner has agreed to intensify that buffer already there by planting other vegetative growth to make it further compatible with the surrounding land area," Epperson said. "I believe the conditions are met based on the facts we have before us." Councilman Benton Blakely asked about the Planning Commission's decision not to recommend rezoning and asked about the economic impact of solar farms. "We are talking bout a lot of tax dollars, aren't we?" Blakely said. Epperson nodded affirmatively, and noted that during the General Assembly's previous legislative session there was an effort to provide an 80 percent tax reduction for such farms. "As you know, just like we do at the county level, the state will do what it can to provide incentives for these industries and farms to come to our state," said Epperson. "We typically give fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements, and this would be similar if codified in a bill." Epperson said that even if the property were reduced in taxable value by 80 percent, it would still represent a substantial increase over what the property brings in now to the county tax coffers. "We will still see a substantial tax increase from this project, both if it goes forward and if they have the 80 percent reduction," said Epperson. "Of course, we would see even more without the reduction." Clarendon County Development Board Executive Director George Kosinski said he didn't want to give out hard figures, but that the difference would be at least in the "hundreds of thousands of dollars." "Right now, it's being assessed at about $15,000, which brings in about $3,000 a year based on its zoning as a typical farm, because the state puts a limit on how they can be taxed," said Epperson. "But we would see at least a 100 percent increase, plus more," Kosinski interjected. "You would have not just the solar farm itself being taxed, but all of the equipment on the property would be taxed as well," said Epperson. "That's a lot of new technology. The majority of the revenue would come from the business and personal property, the equipment itself. That's the panels and all the pieces that go with it." Council members will look at a second reading of the ordinance, along with holding a public hearing, at their September meeting.