By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Barton County was first approached in January 2023 by an entity interested in building solar panel farms within the county, specifically near Cheyenne Bottoms. That interaction got the wheels turning for both the county and the City of Great Bend to create solar development regulations.
On one side, there were residents wanting to sell their property for the solar development. On the other side, there were citizens against the idea with concerns on the impact to wildlife and the land.
Barton County Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson said working to form the solar regulations that went into effect April 1, 2024, is something he is most proud of in his four years on the board.
"When we started that, we had community members in here pretty much with pitchforks aimed at each other," said Hutchinson. "By the time we were done, those same people shook hands and were neighbors again. That's what I'm most proud of over the last four years."
Dr. Dan Witt, whom was vocal about preserving the wetlands area, went before the Commission Tuesday and stated Acciona has dropped out of potential solar development in Barton County. Along with the regulations in place, Witt said he received a call from Kansas State Representative Dr. Sherri Brantley to further protect the wetlands.
"She (Brantley) is developing a proclamation to present that will make the Cheyenne Bottoms a historical site," said Witt. "She's in the process of gathering her information and getting her speakers together."
The county’s regulations include a two-mile, no-build zone around Cheyenne Bottoms that covers more than 49,000 acres in the county.