By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Landowner rights versus the rights of those around that land. That was the crux of the discussion by Barton County Planning Commissioners Thursday morning as they decided on a proposed zoning map regarding large-scale solar energy conversion systems (SECS) in the county. On Jan. 11, the board recommended a one-mile no-build zone around Cheyenne Bottoms to mirror its wind turbine regulation. Planning Commissioners pored over seven potential maps on Thursday. Rusty Carson preferred the one approved on Jan. 11.
"I'd still rather stick with our one-mile limit and conditional use the rest so the experts can come in and testify to us why, or the landowners, which I totally agree have the right, can come in and testify against it or for it," he said.
Carson was willing to compromise on a no-build zone that extended beyond the one mile but he wanted it to be uniform to ensure fairness to landowners. Non-profit wildlife groups had called for a no-build zone that extended up to four miles around the Bottoms. Planning Commissioner JC Bosch was willing to compromise on the two-mile no-build zone.
"It gets to the top of that bowl," he said. "If an application is submitted within four miles, there's going to be arguments and discussion and we can figure it out from there. Everyone that owns ground within that two-mile is looking out over Cheyenne Bottoms, and they bought those properties to look out over Cheyenne Bottoms. When you get past that two miles, you can't see it."
Bosch said non-profits have limited their input to the planning board to letters until a permit for an actual project is submitted. Any solar farm permit outside the two-mile zone will have to go before the planning commission for approval.
"If this is going to be in a poor location based on our scientific evidence and flight patterns, they've all said they'll send their teams of attorneys down and spill it out for us and the community. But, I still want to have more than what we have here," he said about the existing one-mile zone.
Several planning commissioners originally pushed for a larger no-build zone but compromised to recommend the two-mile zone. The recommendation now goes to the Barton County Board of Commissioners for a final vote. That panel can approve the new zoning map with a 3-2 vote. A supermajority 4-1 vote would be required to go against the recommendation.