Community members looking to address St. Joseph County Council about an ordinance that would strengthen developmental standards and use permissions for large scale solar farms, will have to wait a little longer.
The proposal tonight was assigned to the land use planning committee at tonight’s council meeting without public comment.
County Council member Dan Schaetzle is hoping to deter new solar projects with the proposed changes, saying this ordinance would cover a number of concerns.
“I would like to see the ordinance be so strong, you know with the 500 foot setbacks, screening all around the property. Several other requirements, let the ordinance be so strong that solar companies will look at that ordinance and say let’s try some other county,” Schaetzle said.
The proposed ordinance being discussed by County Council could impact a potential 25-hundred acre solar farm being built near North Liberty.
Protestors showing up before tonight’s meeting with concerns about how that proposed huge solar farm could affect the environment.
“We did a wetland restoration project. We are trying to encourage wildlife in the area and we are afraid that there’s going to be so much disturbance it’s going to affect what’s happening on our property,” Linda Matzat said.
Matzat says she worries about the impact the large solar farm could have on animals that come to live in the area, especially birds.
“We’re concerned that a field of solar panels would reflect light and appear to be a body of water. Waterfowl, thinking it was a body of water, I understand have hit the solar panels trying to let land and been injured or killed,” Matzat said.
The Land Use Planning Committee will discuss the bill, then bring the ordinance back to the County Council.
The next opportunity for public comment will be at the Area Plan Commission next Tuesday.
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