NEWS: Split vote by JCC Supervisors Approves Solar Farm along Richmond Rd
Action removes 60 acres from Mill Creek Agricultural and Forestal District and grants special use permit to build solar array
At a meeting earlier this week, a majority of the James City County Board of Supervisors supported the steps necessary to create a solar farm on 60.6 acres of land previously used for commercial logging, and which was part of the Mill Creek Agricultural and Forestal District. Voting in favor of the project were Chair Jim Icenhour, Jamestown District, Vice Chair John McGlennon, Roberts District and Ruth Larson, Berkeley District. The Members voting against the project were Barbara Null, Stonehouse District and Michael Hipple, Powhatan District.
Removal from Mill Creek Agricultural and Forestal District
In order to move forward with the project, the landowners and developers of the solar farm needed approval from the Board of Supervisors to remove the proposed parcel from a local conservation agreement called the Mill Creek Agricultural and Forestal District. The AFD program is voluntary and participation needs to be regularly agreed to by the property owner. Yet, removing property before the end of the current AFD agreement requires Board approval. Additional approval was also needed for a special use permit to build the solar farm on the land, which is zoned for general agricultural use.
Though the total parcel is over 100 acres, only a portion will be used for the 3-megawatt solar facility. The rest of the acreage will remain in the Mill Creek AFD. A Charlottesville-based company called Hexagon Energy proposed the project and will oversee construction and management. Ester Rekhelman, a Senior Project Developer with the company, and lead developer on this project, spoke with the Board about why they should approve the changes. “The project will benefit the County by generating increased County revenue of over $500,000, through both taxes and/or revenue shared during the lifetime of the project. And it will protect the parcel from more permanent development uses,” she said.
Concerns with visibility from Jamestown Road
Though the project’s builders expect to be able to screen the solar panels from public view with a barrier of trees, several Supervisors still voiced concern that the solar array might be seen from Richmond Road. “Just my opinion is, I do not think that solar panels are attractive at all,” said Supervisor Hipple.
While affirming his support for the project, Chair Icenhour commented that he wouldn’t support the project if he thought it would wind up being visible from the road. “I think the … topography and the buffers will quite effectively take care of that,” he said. Supervisor McGlennon agreed, saying, “This really is a very good use for this particular property.” He added that the changes weren’t permanent and that the land could one day return to agricultural purposes. “This really allows us to know for the next forty years, this is the use we can stand by.”
Supervisor Null commented on removal from the AFD as part of her concern, before voting against allowing the solar project. “We have the AFD rules and I think people need to stick by them. We just did them up two years ago. So, I don’t like to see land come out of the AFD at all.”
According to the County’s planning staff’s report, the project experienced an up and down ride on its way to approval by the Board of Supervisors. Back in October 2024, the AFD Advisory Committee “voted unanimously to recommend denial of this application to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.” County planning staff also recommended rejecting the proposal. They noted that the request to remove the land from the AFD did not meet the previously agreed upon standards to do so. The County Planning Commission bucked the advice and supported the project 6-1. Ultimately, the project will move forward after the 3-2 vote by the Board.
Other News from the Board meeting
Several James City County Police K9s presented to the Board. Get a dose of cute and watch the video.
Teen heroes who saved two young boys from an icy pond honored by the Board. Watch this to feel good.
The President of the Williamsburg-James City Education Association spoke to the Board about low pay compared to other local school districts. Watch here.
The Board chose to meet in closed session to discuss appointments to the County’s Planning Commission.
The Board’s next meeting will be held at 1pm on February 25, 2025.
George Arbogust is Founder and Editor of the Williamsburg Independent. You can contribute too! Email tips and story ideas: contact@williamsburgindependent.com