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County board approves more permits for solar farms

The Knox County Board met last night where they approved conditional use permits for two pairs of solar farms.

The Zoning Board of Appeals had recommended the approval of both permits.

The first farms were approved for Geronimo Energy by a vote of 11 to 3 with board members Dick Conklin, Rick Sandoval, and David Erickson voting against.

One concern raised during discussion by board member Conklin was regarding public opposition at the ZBA hearing, and what their concerns were.

Chris Gray, Supervisor of Assessment for Knox County, came forward and explained the concerns heard during the ZBA hearing and how the zoning board addressed them. One such concern that Gray gave was regarding a driveway that the solar farm would share with another property owner. She said that the zoning board put a condition in the permit that required Geronimo to create a new driveway as an entrance.

The second permit was filed by AES Distributed Energy and was passed by a narrower vote.

Board member Conklin raised a concern was over the lack of a decommissioning dollar amount presented in the board packet.

Derrick Worden, an AES Distributed Energy representative, told the board that his company would follow whatever state decommissioning guidelines there are and go by whatever bond amount the state establishes. Worden added that the state has yet to establish a bond, but they do have a program in place.

Board members Conklin, Sandoval, and Erickson voted against the second conditional use permit with Jared Hawkinson joining them, but the other 10 board members voted in favor.

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