The fate of a proposed $40 million commercial solar facility in Deltaville will be decided by four of the five members of the Middlesex Board of Supervisors.
The public hearing on the solar facility will be: Tuesday, June 3, 7 p.m., Middlesex County Historic Courthouse
Pinetop District Supervisor Randy Crittenden, who represents Deltaville and the eastern end of the county, has recused himself from participating or voting on the special exception request for a solar facility on a 77-acre parcel, located at 1033 North End Road, Deltaville, which is owned by T.H. Crittenden and Son Inc.
Thomas “Tommy” Crittenden is the majority shareholder and president of the corporation, according to the application.
On Monday, Pinetop Supervisor Randy Crittenden replied to a Southside Sentinel email confirming that he has recused (removed) himself from considering the solar facility special exception application and will not vote. Randy Crittenden wrote: “I have recused myself from participating in the debate and will not vote on the issue. I will not attempt to influence my fellow board members. Tommy Crittenden is my cousin, we share the same last name and we attend church and socialize together. While I do not believe a legal conflict of interest exists, I feel that taking a public stance on this issue would create an appearance of impropriety, which is discouraged by the Virginia Board of Supervisors manual. I have great confidence that the remaining board members will listen to both sides and will make a decision that is in the best interest of Middlesex County.”
Tommy Crittenden declined to comment for this story.
Opposed
Bill Puttmann and neighbors of the proposed solar facility are among those who are against it. Puttmann contacted the Sentinel to voice his concern that Pinetop Supervisor Randy Crittenden will not vote or participate in the decision on the solar facility. “We feel isolated as we do not have representation at the table,” Puttmann wrote in an email this week.
Decision
The decision on the solar facility will be in the hands of the four other board of supervisors members: Chairman Don Harris, Reggie Williams, Wayne Jessie, and Bill Harris. (The two Harrises are not related.)
A public hearing on the solar facility will be conducted by the supervisors on Tuesday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse in Saluda.
KDC Solar Deltaville LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CI Renewables LLC of Baltimore, is seeking a special exception to allow a 20-megawatt utility scale solar energy facility that would cover 77 acres of a 192-acre parcel with about 45,000 solar panels.
Denial recommended
The old courthouse was packed with opponents for the Middlesex Planning Commission public hearing on April 10. The commission voted unanimously to recommend to the Middlesex Board of Supervisors that it denies the special exception for the solar facility due to its proximity to residences; and secondly, the commission voted unanimously that the application is not in substantial accord with the county’s comprehensive plan.
The commission only makes non-binding recommendations to the board of supervisors, which is the only entity that has the authority to grant a special exception.
During the planning commission’s public hearing 13 citizens voiced their concerns: runoff, decreased property values, inadequate screening from view, possible environmental hazards, future problems, only $28,000 per year in revenue to the county, and changing the rural character of the area.
Screening change
With regard to screening, KDC’s latest application plan indicates a six-foot-tall earth berm that is 25 feet wide with plants on it along North End Road. The solar facility would be set back about 110 yards from North End Road.
Other borders would have a 25-foot-wide “vegetative buffer.” Also indicated is planting trees to shield the site from view.
Approval recommended
In his staff report, Dave Kretz, the Middlesex director of zoning and planning, recommended approving the special exception and finding that it is in substantial accord with the comprehensive plan.
Money
According to the latest “agreement” between KDC and Middlesex County; KDC has offered to make to the county a “One-Time Voluntary Payment” of $1.5 million.
In addition, following the planning commission’s recommendation to deny the special exception KDC is now proposing an “Annual Voluntary Payment” to the county of $100,000 beginning when the facility starts operating. The $100,000 “Annual Voluntary Payment” would be in addition to the $28,000 annual revenue share payment, and real estate taxes considered by the planning commission., explained KDC’s attorney Timothy Trant II.
Through the agreement KDC will make a one-time donation of $75,000 to the Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department and $75,000 to the Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Also, KDC will pay up to $10,000 per incident to “the county’s volunteer fire and/or emergency services response to a fire or similar event occurring at the solar facility.”
Also, “KDC agrees to allow the county to sublease the portions of the site that are not improved by components of or otherwise utilized as a part of the solar facility for use by the county for a sewer drip disbursement system for the rental rate of $1 per lease year…”
KDC must also put up a bond to insure the facility is properly decommissioned at the end of its useful life.
At 20 megawatts, the Deltaville solar facility would be larger than the 15-megawatt University of Virginia (UVa) Puller Solar Facility located west of Hartfield. Located on 120 acres with about 58,800 solar panels, it opened in November 2018.
Opposition
Bill Puttmann, whose home is near the site, stated his opposition in an email this week responding to the Sentinel’s questions. “This proposal will impact most residents who live near the proposed industrial sized solar facility on North End,” Puttmann wrote. “The most pressing question is what impact on property values will occur when the inherent beauty and open space of our residential community is replaced with the unsightly industrial project associated with solar panels, industrial buildings, the latest illustration identifies a converter station approximately 750 feet from our property with the noise associated with these.”
