12.12.2023, 16:38

Edited for easier reading by inserting line breaks, bolded items, etc.


New petition description:

Charlotte County, VA is in danger of being further blighted by unbridled utility scaleutility-scale solar development. While 7,500 acres has already been approved for Conditional Use by the local governing body, there has been a resurgence within the county government to significantly enlarge the already immense development campaign for utility scale solar. While 2.56% of the total land mass of the county has been approved for development, a recent Planning Commission recommendation would double the saturation to a total of nearly 15,000 acres! The additional 2.44% will make room for another roughly 7,500 acres of development —most of which would be parcels in the 50-acre range in your backyard in the form of as many as 100 or more projects scattered throughout the county.

Concerned residents, landowners, and taxpayers are encouraged to add their names to this important cause to protect and defend our rural communities and petition the Board of Supervisors to bring an end ,andand possible reduction,reduction to the footprint of the ever-increasing industrial solar complex that will forever plague the place we all love and call home. Petitioners further affix their signatures and full support to the Letter of Petition to be presented to the Board as more particularly set forth below:

Chairman of the Board of Supervisors;Supervisors

County of Charlotte, Virginia;VA

250 LeGrande Ave, Suite A

Charlotte Court House, VA 23923;23923

Dear Chairman and Esteemed Members of the Board:

In response and overwhelming concern to the unbridled utility scaleutility-scale solar development plans taking place in Charlotte County, VA, the Friends of Charlotte, Inc. by its many members and additional supporters seeks to compel the Board of Supervisors to bring an end and even reduction,a reduction by ordinance or statute,statute to the footprint of the ever increasingever-increasing local industrial solar complex in order to safeguard Charlotte County, Virginia’s rural agricultural communities, its lands, its waters, and natural sanctity of its forests.

As represented by the signatures of Charlotte County residents, landowners, and tax payers affixed hereto, affected citizens are answering the call to preserve the integrity of our farmland, forests, surrounding wildlife, and soil, water, and air quality while also advocating for energy and economic interest alternatives to utility-scale energy development.

We herby petition the local governing body to effectuate ample measures to manifest the Adoption of an Amended Comprehensive Plan and any subsequent Ordinance or Statute which i) preserves Charlotte's primary agricultural, silviculture, and rural values as well as related historic preservation and tourism initiatives; ii) includes minimal updates required by the Code of Virginia using the research compiled during the new 2023 Comprehensive Plan Draft preparation (included in its Appendix as appropriate) which clearly displays any suggested changes for ample public consumption; iii) clearly includes a saturation cap on solar development of 1% of the total eligible land density throughout the county, but with an allowance to develop up to 2.56% (an additional 1.56%) of the same land throughout to construct projects to which the County has already been obligated by the Board of Supervisors unless any previously approved project does not come to fruition, in which case the aforementioned allowance will diminish; iv) clearly states that any new projects considered for solar development within the 1% density saturation cap shall be "community/shared type projects" equal to or less than 25 acres in size, no closer that 2 miles apart, with enhanced zoning requirements including increased setbacks and mandates for the plantation of esthetically pleasing native species trees in vegetative buffers, not approved for Conditional Use to the objection of any adjacent land owner; v) clearly states that all future solar and energy storage projects will only be permitted in Industrial Zones and managed under the authority of the Industrial Development Authority in a way that benefits the County financially equal or financially superior to any developer to which such a project is awarded; and creates a Planning Commission composition with equal representation for the (3) most rural districts of Wylliesburg / Red Oak (District B); Cullen / Red House (District E); and Bacon / Saxe (District G) that is accomplished by adding (1) additional member for each of the respective districts thereby bringing the total numbers of members to (14) and maintaining compliance with Code of Virginia § 15.2-2212.