WABASH — The Wabash City Plan Commission approved a moratorium on solar projects within the city limits.
The unanimous (9-0) vote came last week during its monthly meeting. The vote was met with a round of applause from the nearly 40 in attendance. Audience members in the Wabash City Hall chambers were vehemently opposed to industrial solar fields, or “solar farms,” within the community. Many spoke during the meeting as well as two previous Wabash City Council meetings.
The commission will now take the next several months to research the issue, and ultimately, create a new ordinance governing solar which will be presented to the Wabash City Council for approval. That process could take between six months to a year, according to Wabash City Attorney Doug Lehman. He commented during last Wednesday’s meeting an ordinance specific to solar is not on the books. Lehman cites the nearest topic having its own ordinance might be regarding CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). The attorney concurred with commission members it would be wise to have a separate ordinance.
The topic of solar, and specifically solar farms, within city limits has recently been a major issue among the public. The Wabash City Council approved two weeks ago the resolution regarding solar. The unanimous vote among council members offered a recommendation to the Wabash Plan Commission to approve a moratorium on permits for solar farms.
“I want to thank you (Wabash City Plan Commission) for listening to our concerns and proposing action to have guidelines to protect our city,” said Wabash resident Pam Hawkins. “The effects from solar are impactful for decades. A decline in property taxes; noise levels; fire hazards; panel leakage; and much more is just the beginning to the list of our concerns to the damage done to our environment.”
Solar also been on the minds of residents within the county. This year, the topic was broached by concerned resident Suzanne Peebles. She wanted to stave off the potential problems many county residents faced before a similar moratorium was approved for county property last year.
Peebles, and about a dozen area residents, were in attendance at the May 13 Wabash City Council meeting. They were concerned with the short and long-term impact of the solar panels on the environment. The group also raised concerns about the lack of city ordinances in place regarding industrial solar farms potentially buying or leasing land within the city’s approximate two-mile jurisdiction outside city limits.
Ross and Peebles were at the forefront of advocating against solar farms last year. Their voice and others were heard. The Wabash County Board of Commissioners approved a moratorium last year on issuing of permits for commercial solar energy systems in an A-1 zoning district. The commissioners found the Wabash County Zoning Ordinance failed to state specifically what the setbacks (distances from residential areas) are for a commercial solar energy system in an A-1 zoning district. The commission found defects in the ordinance needing correction before any location permits for solar systems in an A-1 zoning district are issued. It was the Wabash County Plan Commission who unanimously voted to offer a favorable recommendation to impose a moratorium on the controversial issue. In series of checks and balances, it was that decision bringing forth the vote by the commissioners.
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