New meeting dates are now scheduled for the Linn County Board of Supervisors to review the rezoning applications for the Duane Arnold Solar I and II utility-scale solar projects. The previously scheduled meetings were canceled because the required public notice was not issued properly.
All utility-scale solar applicants in Linn County must undergo a review by the Technical Review Committee, the Planning & Zoning Commission, and three readings by the Board of Supervisors. The review process is designed to review all applications thoroughly against the development standards outlined in Linn County’s utility-scale solar ordinance. Additional standards may be imposed as part of the review process. Recordings of the Technical Review Committee and the Planning & Zoning Commission meetings as well as the application documents submitted by Duane Arnold Solar LLC are available on Linn County’s website at LinnCountyIowa.gov/SolarFarms.
Agendas for each of the following meetings will be posted on Linn County’s website 24 hours in advance of each meeting. Sign up to be notified of meeting agendas once they are published by visiting LinnCountyIowa.gov/NotifyMe.
Virtual attendance options for the meetings will be posted on Linn County’s website and social media pages as soon as they are available.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: PUBLIC HEARING AND FIRST CONSIDERATION
When: August 29, 2022
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Palo Community Center | 2800 Hollenbeck Road, Palo
Members of the public can attend in person or virtually
Join meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone:
https://vimeo.com/event/2152325
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: SECOND CONSIDERATION
When: August 30, 2022
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Palo Community Center | 2800 Hollenbeck Road, Palo
Members of the public can attend in person or virtually
Join meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone:
https://vimeo.com/event/2152325
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: THIRD CONSIDERATION
When: September 6, 2022
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Palo Community Center | 2800 Hollenbeck Road, Palo
Members of the public can attend in person or virtually
Join meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone:
https://vimeo.com/event/2152325
Public comments can be submitted in advance by emailing the Planning & Development staff.
The Board of Supervisors will consider the applications from Duane Arnold Solar LLC and make a decision to deny or approve the rezoning based on the standards for review contained in Linn County's Code of Ordinances section 107-117 (h). The decision to deny or approve may be made at any of the three consideration meetings; however, final consideration and approval cannot occur until all three readings have occurred. The Board of Supervisors can decide to postpone the decision at the first or second consideration meetings. If, during any of the three readings, a majority of the Board votes to reject the application, the application will not move forward. All recommendations on the rezoning application, including the final decision by the Board of Supervisors, must be based on the development standards for utility-scale solar contained in Linn County's Code of Ordinances section 107-117 (h). Additional standards may be imposed as part of the review process.
Requirements for the Solar Review Process
All utility-scale solar projects require an application to rezone the area to be used for the solar installation to (RE) Renewable Energy Overlay Zoning District.
Once an applicant submits a utility-scale solar application to Linn County Planning & Development, the review process begins. This process is robust and includes benchmark reviews from the Technical Review Committee, Planning & Development staff, and the Planning & Zoning Commission before any application is presented to the Board of Supervisors.
The review process is the same for all utility-scale solar applicants:
- Applicants must undergo a review by the Technical Review Committee (TRC), the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC), and three readings by the Board of Supervisors. These are public meetings. The TRC meeting is open to the public but is not a public hearing (no public comments are taken). The PZC meeting is a public hearing where the public can comment on the application.
- The Planning & Zoning Commission must consider the Technical Review Committee's findings and staff recommendation of the application, and must consider the proposed rezoning during at least one public meeting before submitting its findings and recommendation of approval or denial on the application to the Board of Supervisors.
- The Board of Supervisors will hold three public hearings for the rezoning request before making their final decision.
- All recommendations, including the final decision by the Board of Supervisors, must be based on the development standards for utility-scale solar contained in Linn County's Code of Ordinances section 107-117 (h). Additional standards may be imposed as part of the review process.
- Linn County will notify the applicant and surrounding property owners of the date and time of the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting and public hearing and invite them to attend.
Sign up to be notified of meetings and agendas.
For more information on the utility-scale solar permitting process in Linn County, visit LinnCountyIowa.gov/SolarFarms.