By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Barton County Planning Commission has many rules and regulations to follow. At a recent planning commission meeting, Planning Commissioner JC Bosch made a motion that could impact solar energy conversion development in the county. Zoning Administrator Judy Goreham explained the issue to the Barton County Commission Wednesday morning.
"When it was his turn to address the planning commission, he made a motion to exclude commercial solar facilities within six miles of Cheyenne Bottoms," Goreham said. "There were five of the nine planning commissioners that approved that."
Goreham's recommendation, however, was for the board of commissioners to return the proposed changes to the planning commission with the request of inviting interested parties into the discussion, notifying any affected landowners, and specifying exact boundaries for the excluded area.
"For example, a random six miles will probably not hit property lines, roads," said Goreham. "It could crossover on many things, which would be very difficult to enforce, so delineating the map is important. Most important is to hold a public hearing."
County Counselor Patrick Hoffman agreed the matter needed to go back before the planning commission. "To do a zoning amendment properly, it needs to go before a public hearing so affected landowners have the opportunity to be heard," he said. "That's what Judy and I are recommending you guys follow today."
The board of commissioners voted 5-0 to send the proposal back to the planning commission, and later voted 4-1 to implement a moratorium on any solar developments in the county until Dec. 31, 2023.