Next month, the Union County Commissioners will consider restricting all unincorporated land in the county to large wind and solar construction projects. The diagonal lines across each township indicate just how much of the land would be deemed restricted.
(Graphic submitted)
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Issues with fencing still remain at one of the solar projects in the northwestern corner of the county.
Union County officials said they have been in contact with representatives from Acciona about the Union Solar project but continue to hear complaints from “unhappy” residents.
“From everything we’ve heard, they’re not thrilled with the way it looks,” said County Administrator Bill Narducci. “I told (solar reps) that we need to have an answer one way or another.”
In August, Narducci told the commissioners he had been in contact with the solar company about the fencing issue along Route 31. At the time, he said the Ohio Power Siting Board was the entity responsible for approving the type of fencing and that the board hadn’t ruled on it. Since then, he added a decision had been made.
“We did hear from the Power Siting Board while I was in Japan that they have approved that fencing,” Narducci said. “We don’t have much leverage, I fear, in this case, because the Power Siting Board approved it. That’s what the joint-stipulation said.”
He said part of the issue came from those “vague” stipulations early on regarding the look of the fence, which stated that the fence had to contain a “horizontal wood element.”
“It was singular: ‘element.’ And I think (the company) took that as they only needed one piece of wood so they put a wood cap across the top,” Narducci said. “I told them that was absolutely not what our intention was or our perception of what that was going to look like.”
Narducci said there were drawings of the fencing that also indicated a different design.
He added he continues to talk with the company and the design team to work through a solution. Brian Dunneback, Acciona’s development manager, will be in the area next month, Narducci added, so he hopes progress can be made by or before then.
Beyond the fencing issue, Narducci said the project is just over 80% complete.
“Roadways and piles for the modules are 100% complete and they have a little bit over 50% of the modules delivered to site, with the remaining plan to be delivered by the end of the year,” he said. “They’re planning on being operation in the first quarter of (2024).”
That wasn’t the only solar issue on the agenda this week.
Narducci said he was also among the residents and officials from the county and Claibourne, Taylor and Leesburg townships who met at the Leesburg Township Fire Department on Monday. The meeting was to discuss the proposed Samsung Richwood Solar project. Though it is not much beyond the proposal phase, the project would be located between Richwood and Magnetic Springs.
Officials said more than 250 people showed up to the firehouse, most of them voicing their opposition to the project.
“There were also some folks from adjacent counties that have gone through the processes of both living next to a project and creating groups to oppose and communicate strategies,” he said. “A lot of the same, very much opposed though there were some that were pro.”
Narducci said officials in the township are planning another meeting next week and there will be two other solar-related meetings in November.
The county will also consider designating all of the unincorporated area of Union County as a restricted area for “economically significant” wind and solar projects next month. The meeting will be held during a regular session of the commissioners in late October and comes after officials from York Township asked the board to do so.
In a letter to the commissioners, the township asked to restrict “production facilities producing 50 or more megawatts of electricity.”
Narducci said the county would likely move forward with the restriction.