Liberty Township residents push county commissioners to exclude large solar developments
NEWARK − Liberty Township residents are awaiting a decision from Licking County Commissioners on the township’s request to exclude large solar panel developments from coming into their community.
Two Liberty Township trustees and more than 30 residents from Licking and Knox counties made their case at a public hearing Wednesday before the county commissioners, who have 90 days to make a decision.
The commissioners have the authority to declare a township, or even the entire county, an exclusionary zone for large solar fields, which are defined as producing 50 megawatts or more. Smaller solar fields can be subjected to local zoning.
Trustees and residents behind the request said the solar panel developments ruin the scenic landscape, take away farmland, decrease property values and are contrary to what residents want in their township.
“The loss of agricultural land is a very big concern to me," Liberty Township Trustee Bill Siegel told the commissioners. "When you see these solar farms come in and take hundreds or sometimes thousands of acres of prime farm ground, that’s a concern.”
Bill Bogantz, another Liberty Township trustee and 36-year township resident, said the trustees are not anti-solar or against residents utilizing solar energy on their homes, but strongly oppose large solar fields in the township.
“The residents of Liberty Township enjoy beautiful rural settings with rolling hills, forests and very fertile and productive farmland,” Bogantz said. “We have invested our hard-earned money in our homes, our land and in our community. We did not move here to have to look at thousands of acres of solar panels polluting our landscape.
“Solar farms are unsightly, devour thousands of acres of farmland and decrease property values in the project area,” he said.
It is not known if any solar panel developers have plans for Liberty Township property, but land purchase agreements often include a nondisclosure agreement preventing the property owner from revealing the terms of their deal.
There are two solar panel developments already planned in western Licking County.
One is Open Road Renewables’ 350-megawatt Harvey Solar project on 1,880 acres scattered throughout a 2,630-acre area in Hartford and Bennington townships in northwest Licking County. The Austin, Texas, company proposes about 1 million solar panels connected to American Electric Power’s Croton substation along Clover Valley Road, about a mile north of Hartford.
The other is Leeward Renewable Energy subsidiary Union Ridge Solar’s 108-megawatt solar field near the AEP Kirk substation on Watkins Road in Harrison Township. The 523-acre project area will be north of Refugee Road, west of York Road, south of Blacks Road and on both sides of Watkins Road.
Eileen DeRolf, of Pataskala, asked the county commissioners to let Liberty Township choose its own destiny.
“This is not a tough decision,” DeRolf said. “This should not take 90 days. We will be finding out if you, the commissioners, are going to support the big money of the solar developers and Intel or whether you are going to do what you are elected to do, and that is to do the will of the people.
“Do not doubt, the solar developers are just waiting for you to vote down this resolution (to ban large solar panel fields) so they can swoop in on Liberty Township and every other one of your townships.”
Some Knox County residents fighting against the proposed Fraizer solar farm spoke at the hearing.
Kari Thomas, of Miller Township, near Mount Vernon, said she was offered $10,000 not to oppose the proposed development.
“It’s right across the street from us," Thomas said. "In the evening, the solar panels will be facing our house. Right now, we have a beautiful sunrise view.
"Our farmland is being eaten up. In Johnstown, hundreds of acres of farmland, gone. In Miller Township, hundreds of acres are going to be in solar panels. I believe we do have a right to say what goes on somebody else’s property, especially when 30% of it is taxpayer funded."
Joe Thomas, a resident of Miller Township in Knox County, gave the Licking County Commissioners kudos "for getting in front of it. We're behind (banning large solar fields). We shelled out our money to hire an attorney. Don’t put these folks in the same situation we are. That’s all I’m asking.”
Etna Township Trustee Mark Evans said his township has also been discussing exclusionary zones. "We're looking to do this, so I do support Liberty Township’s request," he said. "I do believe the best governance is as local as possible, and you can’t get more local than township.”
Etna Township Trustees voted 2-1 in August against asking the commissioners for an exclusionary zone. But the township will have a new commissioner in the new year, when Gary Burkholder replaces Jeff Johnson, who had opposed the exclusionary zone request.
Thirteen people spoke in favor of the exclusionary zone before the commissioners, and none spoke against it.
Commissioner Duane Flowers said the commissioners should be able to make a decision in a couple weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Liberty Township residents push to exclude solar panel developments
