By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — It’s been a sore spot for some and a sign of innovation for others, and on Monday the Metro Council voted unanimously to halt future solar farm development in the county until the trickle down effects from the yet-to-be-built Silicon Ranch Solar Farm located along Highway 55 between Motlow College and the Tullahoma City Limits can be studied.

Local elected officials announced the project in April 2021. The energy produced there will be sold to TVA and distributed by local and regional utilities like Duck River Electric Membership Cooperative (DREMC) to specific buyers including Lynchburg’s Jack Daniel’s Distillery. {To read our complete coverage of that announcement, click here.}

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Council votes unanimously to halt future solar farm development

The Metro Council voted unanimously to place a five-year moratorium on future solar farm development in Metro Moore County at Monday’s meeting. Dexter Golden – who also serves as the Metro Planning Commission Chair –made the motion and Peggy Sue Blackburn seconded it. Shane Taylor, Douglas Carson, Daryl Richards, Arvis Bobo, Marty Cashion, Gerlad Burnett, Blackburn, Greg Guinn, Golden, Bradley Dye, John Taylor, and Robert Bracewell all voted in favor of the motion. Amy Cashion, Jimmy Hammond, and Houston Lindsey were absent from the meeting.

During open discussion, Metro Attorney Bill Rieder explained that local officials wanted a reasonable amount of time to evaluate the pros and cons of solar farms in Moore County before contemplating a second project. This would include expansion at the already approved Silicon Ranch Project currently under construction along Highway 55.

“The reason for the five-year moratorium period is because you’ll want to see what impact this is going to have on the county. It’s a very large one,” Rieder stated – referring to the Silicon Ranch Project. “Five years will allow us enough time to see if we need additional restrictions or requirements on future developments.”

“Solar farms are not beneficial to the county.”

The language of the moratorium states that the Metro Council has determined that additional large-scale ground-mounted solar energy systems (GSES) projects would not be beneficial to the county as it would consume large amounts of agricultural land and/or potentially industrial, commercial, and residential land.

The moratorium language further states that Metro determined that additional large-scale projects would have minimal economic and employment benefits for Moore County and would not justify the large amount of farmland those projects might consume.

During open discussion of the moratorium during the December meeting, members stressed that the moratorium isn’t intended to prohibit landowners from erecting solar panels on their property for personal use but only large scale operation like the Silicon Ranch project.

Metro Attorney Reider also stressed that the moratorium would not impact the Silicon Ranch project as it’s already received approval from county officials. In October 2022, the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals granted a special exception to Silicon Ranch allowing them to place a solar farm on approximately 3,400 acres of Agricultural/Forestry land .

It’s important to note that the land in question was not farmland but instead forestry land previously owned by the Cumberland Springs Land Company. Previously, the owners used it for timber harvesting, hunting leases, and commercial leases.

There will be a public hearing prior to the March meeting to hear public comment for or against the moratorium. That meeting will happen at 6:20 p.m.

Other votes on Monday

The Council approved placing several Metro-owned vehicles on the vehicle surplus list. This includes two Moore County Sheriff Department vehicles with blown motors and University of Tennessee Extension van “with a host of issues” on the list. They will be sold on the GovDeals website. If they do not sell there, they will be taken to CFC Recycling.

The Council approved the second reading of the rezoning of 432 Majors Cemetery Road belonging to Randy Lee George from A-1 to R-2. Robert Bracewell made the motion to approve, and Bradley Dye seconded it. It passed unanimously.

They also approved the first reading of a rezoning request at 900 Coffee Creek Road on land belonging to Gilbert Warren from A-1 to R-2. Bradley Dye made the motion to approve and Peggy Sue Blackburn seconded it. There will be a public hearing in March at 6:25 p.m. to hear any public objections to the proposed rezoning.

The Council voted to approve the second reading of several changes to commercial and industrial building and zoning in the county including new site plan requirements, as well as housekeeping changes to several other planning ordinances. They were grouped together and voted on as a whole. Greg Guinn made the motion to approve and Shane Taylor seconded. It passed unanimously. For questions about those changes, please contact the Metro Codes office at 931-759-7068.

Other committee reports

During committee reports, Metro Planning Commission Chair Dexter Golden reported the Three Rivers Energy Partners and Metro environmental engineer Tony Grow are collaborating on a berm placement at the Lynchburg Renewables anaerobic digester following a tank failure back in September. {To read our full coverage of that event, click here.}

During the February Metro Planning and Zoning meeting, Three Rivers’ Marshall Miller told the committee that the tank failure was caused by a bolt failure and that he anticipates future litigation.

Golden also explained that Silicon Ranch recently purchased a building permit for the substation at a cost of $500 and would later return to purchase a $4,000 permit for the solar array. This puts them in compliance with the $4500 industrial building permit fee schedule.

“If they do not come back for the second phase of that permit, we would pull the first permit,” Golden explained.

Metro Moore County Sheriff Tyler Hatfield also appeared before the Council to explain an upcoming, unbudgeted expense to repair the Moore County Jail roof following a water leak that took place in December due to busted pipes. He also explained that funds currently existed in the litigation tax account to cover a portion of that project and that the rest would be covered by the insurance payment and the Metro Capital Project Budget.

He also discussed the potential for a remodel of the Jail kitchen using leftover American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.

“It’s in essence a galley style kitchen that feeds 30 people every day. It’s a four burner stove,” he explained.

He also requested the ability to create a better prisoner intake area at the jail. Currently they use a set of handcuffs affixed to a wooden desk.

The Metro Council meets on the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Building located just off Highway 129. To have your item added to the agenda or to address the Council, contact Mayor Stewart’s office at 931-759-7076 prior to the meeting date. •

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