After more than three hours of testimony from residents, farmers and energy advocates, the Montgomery County Advisory Plan Commission voted Tuesday to send an unfavorable recommendation to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners on a rezoning request tied to the proposed Copper Box Solar Project.
The commission voted 6-2 following a lengthy public hearing regarding a petition filed Jan. 13 by ENGIE North America. The request seeks to rezone about 1,800 acres of agricultural land to an agricultural overlay district to allow construction of a commercial solar energy system.
The land involved includes 19 parcels across Madison and Union townships. According to the project application, about 890 acres would be within fenced solar array areas containing panels and electrical equipment, while the remaining land would include setbacks, buffers and access roads. The application states that much of the space between and around the arrays would remain open and be planted with vegetation intended to support ground cover and wildlife habitat.
Marc Bonwell, the county’s building and zoning administrator, said the proposal would allow construction of a commercial solar energy system under county zoning rules. The parcels included in the request are primarily located in the southern half of Madison Township, with three parcels along the northern boundary of Union Township. The land is currently used for row crop agriculture.
Bonwell said solar projects must meet a number of application requirements under the county zoning ordinance, including providing drainage, fire control, traffic circulation and decommissioning plans, along with vegetation management and lighting plans. He said the petitioner submitted the required materials but that planning staff determined the totality of statutory factors used to evaluate rezoning requests did not support granting the rezone.
Staff recommended the commission send an unfavorable recommendation to the county commissioners, who will make the final decision on the zoning classification.
Tom Schoder, lead project developer for the project, said the company began leasing land for the project in 2019 and 2020 and described the project as a long-term investment in the county. He said ENGIE, a global energy company headquartered in Houston, plans to own and operate the facility for its estimated 30-year lifespan.
Schoder said the project would generate up to 200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 33,000 homes, and would connect to a Duke Energy transmission line feeding into a Crawfordsville substation. He said the project would represent roughly a $300 million investment in the county and generate at least $20 million in tax revenue over its lifetime, while creating about 250 temporary construction jobs.
He also said the project would exceed setback requirements by placing panels more than 500 feet from nearby homes and emphasized that the land could return to agriculture once the project’s lifespan ends.
The public hearing drew a large crowd, filling the community room and leaving additional attendees standing in the lobby watching from a screen.
Opponents raised concerns about removing productive farmland from agricultural use, potential fire hazards, environmental impacts and the possible effect on nearby property values. Some residents also questioned whether local fire departments would have the equipment and training needed to respond to potential solar facility fires.
Others expressed concerns about potential impacts on wildlife, drainage systems, nearby farms and residential areas. Some speakers referenced nearby conservation areas and agricultural operations they believe could be affected by the project.
Supporters of the project pointed to property rights, economic benefits and growing energy demand. Some said landowners should have the right to decide how their property is used, while others said renewable energy development could provide additional tax revenue and help diversify energy production.
Following the public hearing, commission members discussed the project using five statutory factors required for rezoning decisions, including the county’s comprehensive plan, existing land uses in the area, the most desirable use of the land, potential impacts on property values and whether the development would be responsible.
Commission members said their decision centered largely on three factors: the comprehensive plan, the agricultural character of the area and the land’s suitability for continued crop production.
A motion was made to send an unfavorable recommendation to the commissioners based on those factors, stating the request was inconsistent with the comprehensive plan, inconsistent with the current conditions and character of the area and inconsistent with the most desirable use for which the land is adapted.
Zoning commission members Jake Bohlander, Steve Canfield, Tom McClamroch, Jordan Burkett , Stevel Loy and Randy Denhart voted in favor of sending the unfavorable recommendation. Tom Cummins and Tricia Herr voted against the motion.
The commission’s vote serves only as a recommendation. The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners will make the final decision on the rezoning request at a future meeting, following a public hearing.
