ANDERSON – For greater than two years, there was an try and create a brand new ordinance in Madison County to manage photo voltaic power amenities. A brand new ordinance could also be launched within the spring.
Debate over a brand new ordinance started when Madison County authorized the Lone Oak photo voltaic facility in northern Madison County, which remains to be on maintain pending a choice by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Fee in March.
Brad Newman, former director of the Madison County Planning Division, introduced a draft proposal in 2021, however county officers by no means formally acted on it.
Larry Unusual, director of the Planning Division, instructed the County Plan Fee on Tuesday that he hopes to have a brand new draft ordinance accomplished by June.
Unusual mentioned on the fee assembly that he needs to have a collection of open homes to get enter from county residents.
He mentioned open homes may very well be held in Anderson and one every within the northern and southern components of the county.
“We will begin the outreach course of in January and February,” Unusual mentioned. “I can refine the ordinance in March and April.”
He mentioned the Plan Fee might vote on a brand new photo voltaic ordinance in Could or June to make a suggestion to the Madison County Commissioners for closing adoption.
Unusual mentioned he needs to current proposed adjustments to the county’s present photo voltaic ordinance.
“I’ll have a draft ordinance in February,” he mentioned. “On the subsequent assembly, I can current what’s proposed.”
Plan Fee member John Simmermon mentioned there are different firms photo voltaic power initiatives within the county.
“I am unsure they’re conscious of the proposed adjustments,” he mentioned.
The Plan Fee ordered Unusual to draft a brand new photo voltaic ordinance proposal and never use the draft Newman had accomplished.
Newman’s proposed ordinance features a property worth assure, limits industrial photo voltaic farms to twenty% of prime agricultural land within the county and limits on what zone classification a mission can obtain. .
Massive photo voltaic power initiatives might be allowed in areas zoned for industrial use.
Photo voltaic power initiatives are prohibited in any space of the county zoned for residential use and are permitted with particular makes use of in areas zoned for agriculture, conservation residential, parks, native industrial, normal and freeway industrial.
The ordinance requires a 200-foot setback from adjoining property strains and requires any developer to carry no less than one group informational assembly.
catheter Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or name 765-640-4863.
