Stop The Solar Land Grab! In Charlotte County, Va

Charlotte County, VA is in danger of being further blighted by unbridled utility-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 and possible 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

County of Charlotte, VA

250 LeGrande Ave, Suite A

Charlotte Court House, VA 23923

Dear Honorable Chairman and Esteemed Members of the Board:

Friends of Charlotte, Inc. seeks to compel the Board of Supervisors to bring an end to enlarging the ever-increasing local solar development footprint in order to safeguard Charlotte County, Virginia’s rural agricultural communities, its lands, its waters, and natural sanctity of its forests. This petition is based on overwhelming concern that Charlotte County citizens have expressed to our organization. As represented by the signatures of Charlotte County residents, landowners, and taxpayers affixed hereto, affected citizens are answering the call to preserve the integrity of our farmlands, forests, surrounding wildlife, and soil, water, and air quality.

We hereby petition the local governing body to effectuate measures to manifest the Adoption of an Amended Comprehensive Plan and any Zoning Ordinance or Code which: 

i) preserves our primary agricultural and rural values, as well as, related historic preservation and tourism initiatives;  

ii) includes minimal Comprehensive Plan updates (as opposed to a completely New Plan) and 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 acreage 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% saturation cap shall be "community/shared type projects" equal to or less than 25 acres in size; be no closer than 2 miles apart; include enhanced zoning requirements of increased setbacks and mandates for the planting of aesthetically pleasing native trees in buffers; and not be approved 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 superior to any developer to which such a project is awarded; and  

vi) 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).  

Faithfully brought forth on behalf of this and every Petitioner, 

Daniel Weston Dixon

Chairman

Friends of Charlotte, Inc.