By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
As of April 1, 2024, any large-scale solar developer could pull permits to build solar plants. The Barton County Planning Commission’s recommendations were approved by the County Commission after solar development popped up with Acciona Energy’s proposal to construct a solar farm near Cheyenne Bottoms.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Barton County Commission Chair Barb Esfeld said there have been no solar development permits requested yet.
"I just want everybody to know that there is still the whole process to go through," said Esfeld. "It didn't mean once that map was approved that solar development is automatically here. Maybe no permits will be taken out. Who knows?"
The county’s approved guidelines includes a two-mile, no-build zone around Cheyenne Bottoms, the wetlands northeast of Great Bend.
With the county’s regulations in place, the City of Great Bend will begin the process to potentially amend their zoning ordinance to include solar farm and battery storage for projects within the three-mile jurisdiction of the city.
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Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns said the first Great Bend Planning Commission meeting regarding solar development is Tuesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
"This is just the start of discussion," said Burns. "We went through the county regulations, and city staff put in our tweaks of what we would suggest in those scenarios. This is the first of several meetings."
Once the Great Bend Planning Commission finishes the zoning regulations, the document will be brought before the city council for consideration.