By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Given a chance to approve solar regulations within the three-mile zoning jurisdiction of Great Bend, the Great Bend City Council Monday night voted to send the regulations back to the Planning Commission for reconsideration.
Prior to the 6-0 vote by the council, citizen Leslie Halbower-Barrett voiced information regarding her concern on potential solar complexes being constructed in Barton County. Halbower-Barrett referenced a friend that lives in Texas located less than a mile away from a solar complex.
"She lives three-quarters of a mile away from a solar complex," said Halbower-Barrett. "They've had shattered glass shards blown into their yard after hail and wind. The temperatures at her home are routinely six to 10 degrees warmer than it is two to three miles away. The proposed solar project in Barton County is six times that size."
Acciona Energy has shown interest to build solar plants near Cheyenne Bottoms, which would pay an average of $1.6 million in property tax back to Barton County each year and provide approximately 30 long-term jobs.
The city’s proposed regulations call for solar development to be at least 50 feet away from property lines, in some cases more. Halbower-Barrett suggested the city copy Barton County’s regulations with setbacks of at least 1,000 feet.
Councilmember Cory Urban wanted to make it clear to the full room Monday that these regulations are not approval to any specific project.
"Any developer will have to send in an application for a conditional use permit," said Urban. "That will go in front of the Planning Commission. Only at that point could they recommend to send it to us for a final approval of a specific company's build. The process we're at now is just for solar energy conversions systems in general in our zoning area. This has nothing to do with a specific company or build."
The solar regulations will be sent back to the Planning Commission for recommended language changes for general liability insurance and the groundwater test.