Here are links to articles and websites that provide general information
on the proposed project in Staunton, and on the issues related to solar facilities.  

For more detailed information on specific issues in Staunton,
see these pages on our website:

Timeline

Who We Are

Who the Developers Are

View from Staunton Alliance Church on New Hope Road, as proposed.
Acres of black glass solar panels would cover the upper field and become the backdrop
for the YMCA camp, historic farms, and the family graves of Staunton's first settlers.
Insert at lower left shows aerial view of this edge of the 96 acre facility.

The Proposed Project in Staunton:

   
A brief history of a non-so-brief process to bring solar to Staunton
Staunton News Leader, Akhil Ganesh, June 26, 2023
Solar energy is likely headed to Staunton, though not without a fight.
For over a month, discussion around a proposed solar energy facility at 801 Commerce Road dominated the local conversation on social media from Facebook to NextDoor. During last Thursday’s marathon city council meeting, discussion and a public hearing on a special-use permit and siting agreement for a 15.75 megawatt utility-scale solar energy facility and a 5 megawatt community-scale solar energy facility attracted a packed house at Staunton City Hall.
The public hearing was filled with impassioned pleas from both sides of the conversation.
Read more here.

Why are some residents against the proposed solar project in Staunton?
Staunton News Leader, Akhil Ganesh, May 22, 2023
Staunton resident Annie Dixon just wants everyone to slow down. Dixon, who lives on New Hope Road, is one of a group of residents who are vehemently opposed to a proposed solar project at 801 Commerce Road. The residents all have their own reasons for not wanting the development, ranging from visual and environmental impacts to decommissioning plans and training for fire and rescue. They put together a website to detail their issues
While some of those concerns have been addressed through a series of 20 conditions attached to the proposed solar project, Dixon spoke to a lack of transparency: what's the rush, she wonders, to get the solar project done? Read more here.

View from New Hope Road
Ahead, around the curve, farmland would be converted to industrial zoning for utility-scale solar equipment.
   
   

General Information on Utility-Scale Solar Facilities:

Utility-scale solar is coming to a farm near you
Virginia Mercury, September 21, 2023
Local conservationist and pipeline protester, Robert Whitescarver, offers his list of ten things to demand from any utility-scale solar project in Virginia. By his standard, the proposed project in Staunton lacks at least five of them:
1) Proper screening with vegetation and setbacks from property lines. The developer, planning commission, and city council acknowledge this site cannot be properly screened from New Hope Road or from above Commerce Road, due to the rolling topography.
2) Enough space between the rows of panels to support plant growth and water infiltration. This 20.75 megawatt facility on 96 acres crowds the panels together on just 4.62 acres per MW.
3) The requirement that the land be returned to its original use if solar panels are removed. The city planning department notes the premature removal of ag-forestal overlay zoning will zone this parcel industrial permanently.
4) Minimal impact on cultural resources. Acres of solar panels will encroach on the viewshed of scenic and historic land, buildings, and gravesites.
5) Stellar public participation and transparency. Staunton's agricultural advisory committee met and voted in spite of three vacancies, with no agendas or minutes available to the public.
Read the whole list here and judge the proposed project in Staunton for yourself.

Is Virginia at a solar crossroads?
Cardinal News, April 19, 2022
As utility-scale solar projects spread across central and Southside Virginia, local governments and residents have been wrestling with how to balance the sometimes competing goals of preserving farmland and reducing carbon emissions. More

Planning for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Facilities
American Planning Association, September/October 2019
This report examines utility-scale solar facility uses and related land-use issues. It defines and classifies these facilities, analyzes their land-use impacts, and makes recommendations for how to evaluate and mitigate those impacts. While public officials tend to focus on the economics of these facilities and their overall fiscal impact to the community, the emphasis for planners is on the direct land-use considerations that should be carefully evaluated (e.g., zoning, neighbors, viewsheds, and environmental impacts). Specific recommendations and sample language for addressing utility-scale solar in comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances are provided at the end of the article. More

Image by Ceinturion, CC BY-SA 3.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3181924

   
Zoning and Timing Concerns:

The Bells Lane Agricultural-Forestal District is overlay zoning which is reviewed for renewal every ten years. The parcel under consideration for development as a solar utility power plant is zoned I1, Light Industrial, underneath. The property owner may opt out of the agricultural district when the current overlay term expires December 31, 2030.
As the Staunton City Code states, "upon termination of any of the districts or withdrawal of any parcel from a district, when permitted, the underlying zoning with its rules and regulations shall continue to be in effect."
The code also states, "No land within a district shall be removed from the district except with the approval of the council of the city of Staunton, upon a showing of good and reasonable cause."
What is the "good and reasonable cause" to remove 96 acres from the district, seven years ahead of schedule?

Stormwater Concerns:

Virginia Tech-led researchers to study large solar farms' impact on soil and water
Cardinal News, August 8, 2023
A six-year project aims to break new ground in terms of the scope of real-world data collected on sediment and stormwater runoff at utility-scale solar facilities.
This is exactly why local residents are concerned about the rush to construct this project: “DEQ staff have noticed a number of stormwater and erosion issues related to the current design standards for solar projects and have determined that the state of the science has not kept up with the needs of this industry in Virginia,” DEQ spokesperson Irina Calos said. Read more here.

CITYgreen Analysis
CITYgreen is an analysis program developed by American Forests to measure the environmental effects of changing landscapes. An analysis report was run for the Bell’s Lane Agricultural District and for this area developed as zoned.  Using this analysis tool, air pollution and carbon storage sequestration numbers do not change because there would not be a significant change in tree canopy.  Developing the area as zoned [without the ag-forestal overlay], though, would affect the stormwater runoff.  The increase in impervious surfaces associated with developing industrial, business, and residential would increase the annual stormwater runoff by 1,340,781 cubic feet and cost an estimated $2,681,561 in stormwater infrastructure. Read more and see graphs here, pdf pages 74-77 (numbers on pages are 73-76)

Map submitted with the application shows the location --and the scale-- of the proposed facility
and its proximity to Lewis Creek and surrounding flood plain, as well as homes and farms.

Researchers say stormwater from solar fields needs careful management
Augusta Free Press, September 5, 2022
Solar panels are going up across the Chesapeake Bay watershed to help states reach their renewable energy targets. But, while working to achieve climate-related goals, solar fields have the potential to generate water pollution — through increased stormwater runoff. More

Virginia debates impact of solar panels on stormwater runoff
Bay Journal, April 26, 2022
According to DEQ Director Mike Rolband, “There are all sorts of problems with runoff from solar facilities. The fundamental issue is that for several years now a decision was made that solar panels are pervious. That’s a problem for the downstream folks [because] it doesn’t follow the erosion and sediment protocols. It’s causing damage to people, and we want to fix that." More

How Virginia farmers claim Dominion is destroying their land: 'It's pretty catastrophic'
WTVR channel 6 Richmond, October 6, 2021
They say with each rain their land is being threatened by their new neighbor. "If they want a solar field back there, that's their property and their business," Collier III said. "But when you destroy surrounding land, then it becomes our business."
The neighbors say since last fall, every time it rains, a little more of their land is being washed away by excess stormwater runoff from Dominion Energy's Belcher Solar Project. More

Wildlife and Quality of Life Concerns:

Bells Lane is 1.7 miles long and winds through scenic, rolling rural pasturelands, mixed forest, and wetlands that lie on the northeast side of Staunton city limits. This is probably the most popular location in Staunton among birders. It is also a very popular place for local folks to go walking, running, or bicycling. Read more on the Birding Virginia website.

Green Infrastructure Strategies for Staunton, Virginia
December 11, 2009
There are also multiple working farms and open spaces within the city, some of which are currently designated by agricultural‐forestal overlay districts.  These farms provide wildlife habitat, protect viewsheds, and contribute to the historic agricultural character of the community.  Residents frequent the rural roads within the agricultural areas for walking, running, and bicycling.  Working farmlands within city limits are a unique feature to the City of Staunton.  Downzoning these properties to an agricultural designation will help ensure continued existing use and economic viability. Read more here, pdf file page 51; number on page is 50.
Few cities have the unique opportunity of having working farmland within their limits. Staunton has an opportunity to capitalize on and set an example for other cities in the eastern United States by developing a partnership with their farming community. Most of the property has been in the same family for generations that could develop into cultural and historical educational opportunities. Working agricultural lands can contribute to the economic base through reduced city services costs and increased tourism. Read more here., pdf file page 56; number on page is 55.

Solar farms at risk of 'overwhelming' villages, says councillor
March 17
Councillor Newton said villagers in Tetsworth were concerned about how solar farms would affect the landscape. She said: “They’re really worried about a third of the area of their village being turned into solar farms and the impact that will have on a valued landscape.” Read more here... before it happens in Staunton.

Government and Economic Factors in Utility-Scale Solar:

More articles and links coming soon...

If you have some to suggest, please use the form on the Contact page.

Thank you.