Questions have been raised regarding the restructuring of the performance zone requirements. In recent Clarendon County Council meetings, a first and second reading, as well as a public hearing, has occurred regarding an ordinance which would disallow solar farms within the performance zone.
The performance zone is the district within the county which the Planning Commission and the 10-year Comprehensive Plan would like to see mixed development. This would include commercial, industrial and residential. The original plan included only high-development areas in the performance zone.
“This was originally around the lake in our high-development areas. We wanted to maintain control over what was going into our high development areas,” said Clarendon County Director of Planning Maria Rose.
Recently, Southern Current announced it was building three separate solar farms in Clarendon County. According to Clarendon County Administrator David Epperson, these will be on the corner of Highway 301 and Raccoon Road, on Highway 301 across from Taw Caw Baptist Church, and near Willowglen Academy and Meadowfield Apartments. Construction on the first site on Raccoon Road has begun construction.
Through the process of site selection and approval, the Commission realized a need to adjust the allowable businesses within the performance zone. The Commission did not feel solar farms fit into that district well. However, the Commission plans to take some of the larger agricultural areas out of the performance zone, which would allow solar farms in those areas.
“Our Comprehensive Plan and our zoning plan should always be a living, breathing document, and we are constantly working on it. When we find things that work or don’t work, we make changes,” said Rose.
Solar farms could still be placed in the performance zone, but it would require the project be brought before a Planning Commission hearing to rezone and allow the solar farm.
The County Council is set to have third and final reading of the ordinance to approve the adjustment to what is allowed in the performance zone at 6 p.m. on September 10 in the Council chambers of the County Administration Building on Sunset Drive.
