Residents of Nice Township appeared to stay steadfast of their opposition to the event of a proposed photo voltaic vitality technology facility following a public assembly on the problem.
Representatives of Chestnut Photo voltaic LLC, owned by Nationwide Renewable Vitality Company (NARENCO) primarily based in Charlotte, North Carolina, met with residents of Nice Township on Tuesday on the Tri-Rivers Profession Heart to supply details about the undertaking and reply the questions. After firm representatives spoke briefly in regards to the undertaking, native residents have been instructed to submit questions and feedback in writing. No public query and reply session was held, however residents talked to firm representatives.
Jesse Montgomery, president of improvement for NARENCO, stated the corporate prefers to find its websites on “agricultural land” close to “electrical infrastructure,” standards the Nice Township location met. In keeping with a map of the proposed space, the power could be bounded to the north by Somerlot Hoffman Street and to the south by Newmans Cardington Street. The western boundary is mostly on a line from north to south alongside Maple Grove Street. The jap border is US 23.
In keeping with the Ohio Energy Siting Board web site, Chestnut Photo voltaic is within the pre-application section. The corporate’s proposed energy technology could be situated on a 404-acre web site in jap Nice Township and have a capability of as much as 68 megawatts. In 2017, NARENCO started conceptual work for the proposed Chestnut Photo voltaic LLC photo voltaic farm in Nice Township.
“We have now an ideal plan,” Montgomery stated. “Ohio has a really complete software course of. We comply with all the foundations and laws. We’re enthusiastic about alternatives like this to interact with the group and listen to what points they’ve. noticed and actually thought-about it earlier than we submitted our software. , so we will handle any considerations folks have. Clearly the neighbors are involved in regards to the direct impacts on them. That normally revolves round potential points within the runoff and what they are going to see, so we take all of the feedback to coronary heart.”
Catherine Eblin, who lives on Maple Grove Street in Nice Township, stated the proposed facility could be situated immediately behind her household’s dwelling. He stated he has lived in Nice Township his whole life and famous many the explanation why he’s towards constructing the power there.
“I am not towards photo voltaic per se, I simply do not suppose we must be utilizing the farmland we have to feed folks and livestock for this sort of factor, particularly because it takes 35 years for (the lease) to finish,” Eblin stated. “It will take an extended, very long time for that area to return to being a farm once more. We have now numerous flooding each spring and fall and I really feel like this may add to that.”
Emily Barney, who lives on Somerlot Hoffman Street East, stated she may be very involved in regards to the proposed facility as a result of its entrance will probably be situated “throughout the road” from her dwelling, the place she and her household have lived for the previous 4 years.
“So far as the attention can see from our entrance porch are all photo voltaic panels,” Barney stated. “We’re nervous about water backups. We have already got water points in that space. The entire motive we purchased our home is as a result of we wish it to be our dwelling for all times and it is a fantastic panorama -view, and the views will disappear. Even when we select to promote the home now, we should disclose it and which means our fairness and our property worth will probably be diminished and misplaced.”
Barney stated he did not know Chestnut Photo voltaic deliberate to construct a facility adjoining to his property till “a couple of yr in the past.” He stated this was not mentioned when he and his household have been contemplating shopping for their dwelling 4 years in the past.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 on June 7 throughout a public listening to to move a Nice Township decision that imposes restrictions on the event of photo voltaic and wind services. In keeping with the decision, accepted by Nice Township Trustees on December 29, 2021, “no photo voltaic or wind farms thought-about ‘main utility services’ shall be constructed in Nice Township.”
Noel Jerome, who lives on Newmans Cardington Street East, stated he would not perceive why the undertaking can go ahead regardless of city trustees and county commissioners passing resolutions to restrict the kind of improvement proposed by Chestnut Photo voltaic. .
“We went to our city trustees and our county commissioners we agreed to no photo voltaic panels, large or small,” Jerome stated. “However now we’ve (Ohio Energy Siting Board) holding our future of their arms and if they are saying photo voltaic panels can go in, then our votes do not rely for something. from the state that put up photo voltaic panels or something like that. As a home-owner, I simply do not perceive why we have to undergo what we have already gone by with our native elected officers.”
Eblin, Barney, and Jerome every stated they inspired their fellow Nice Township residents involved in regards to the proposed photo voltaic facility being constructed there to contact the Ohio Energy Siting Board and submit feedback.
Matt Butler, public data officer for the Ohio Energy Siting Board, stated the general public assembly held Tuesday night time was step one within the pre-application course of for the proposed Chestnut Photo voltaic undertaking.
“That is the corporate’s probability to get direct suggestions from group members. It is also their probability to reply questions from the group,” Butler stated. “We’re right here as Energy Siting Board employees to reply folks’s questions in regards to the course of and the way that works going ahead.”
Butler stated Chestnut Photo voltaic LLC can have 90 days from the date of the assembly to file its software with the Ohio Energy Siting Board. The applying should embody a abstract of suggestions obtained from residents who attended Tuesday’s assembly and about 1,000 pages of maps, research, surveys, and a story in regards to the undertaking. Butler stated that if the corporate fails to submit the paperwork required for the applying throughout the 90-day interval, one other public assembly just like the one held on Tuesday must be held.
Butler stated the complete course of — from pre-application to remaining approval from the Ohio Energy Siting Board — will take a couple of yr to finish.
In keeping with the Ohio Energy Siting Board (OPSB) database, just one photo voltaic undertaking has been accepted to function in Marion County. The Marion County Photo voltaic Venture LLC is a proposed 100 megawatt photo voltaic vitality facility to be situated on roughly 500 to 600 acres of land in northern Marion Township. The OPSB gave approval for the undertaking in November 2021.
Electronic mail: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter
