The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners will consider Copper Box Solar’s rezoning petition Monday after the Montgomery County Advisory Plan Commission voted 6-2 in August to give the project an unfavorable recommendation.
Commissioners issued a statement earlier this week regarding the proposed project, including a $1 million payment Copper Box Solar has proposed to the county and a guarantee that the assessed value of the project would not fall below the current limit set in state law.
Copper Box Solar clarified that the payment is part of an Economic Development Agreement previously discussed during Plan Commission meetings.
Copper Box Solar is seeking to rezone 2,620 acres in southern Madison Township and northern Union Township from agricultural to agricultural overlay. If approved, the rezoning would allow the company to develop a commercial solar energy system.
The proposed project would include 825 acres with solar panels or related equipment and have a maximum rated capacity of 200 megawatts of electricity.
Commissioners said they have not had discussions with Copper Box Solar regarding the proposal.
The public hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday at the Montgomery County Government Center, 1580 Constitution Row, Crawfordsville. Residents may comment during the hearing or submit written comments before the meeting to commissioners@montgomerycounty.in.gov. The hearing also will be broadcast live.
“When considering the rezoning request, the commissioners must pay reasonable regard to the following five factors,” the board stated. “The comprehensive plan; current conditions and character of currentstructures and uses in each district; the most desirable use for which the land is each district is adapted; the conservation of property values through the jurisdiction and responsible growth and development. Other relevant factors may be considered. Commissioners are required to consider the totality of these factors in making its decision. No one factor controls the consideration.”
The current petition went before the Plan Commission for a second time after Copper Box Solar withdrew its original petition following an unfavorable recommendation in March.
During the second public hearing, Copper Box Solar representatives said they had made changes to the project based on feedback from the community.
Tom Schoder, lead project developer for ENGIE, said the company increased residential setbacks for solar panels, the project substation and construction staging area. The company also added about two miles of vegetative landscaping near residential areas and moved the project substation farther east.
Schoder said the nearest solar panels would be at least two football fields from some homes, with some setback areas remaining available for farming.
The company also increased its estimated tax payments to the county. Schoder said the project is now expected to provide more than $45 million in tax payments over its lifetime, compared with the approximately $20 million previously projected.
Concerns raised during the second hearing included farmland, property values, wildlife, drainage and the project’s compatibility with the area. Members of the Plan Commission also disagreed over how the project fit within the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
The Plan Commission ultimately voted 6-2 to recommend against the rezoning.
Following the commissioners’ statement, Copper Box Solar clarified that the proposed $1 million payment is part of an economic development agreement and not intended to assure the commissioners’ vote for approval.
“We discussed an Economic Development Agreement in the prior Plan Commission meetings and formally submitted it to the county in response to Commissioner (Jake) Bohlander’s direct questions,” said Julie Vitek, vice president of communications for ENGIE. “An EDA will plug the local property tax gap the Indiana legislature recently created and provide Montgomery County absolute certainty on the level of tax payments it receives, beginning with a $1 million payment at the start of construction and $45 million over the life of the project.”
Commissioners will make the final decision on the rezoning petition after the Sept. 28 public hearing.
