Planners recommend rejection of proposed solar project in South Boston | Town of South Boston | yourgv.com

Harriet Claiborne, who resides at 1183 River Road, shows members of the South Boston Planning Commission the proximity of her property to an access road for a proposed solar site on adjacent property, at Wednesday evening’s planning commission meeting.

A proposed solar project in the Sinai community of South Boston hit a roadblock as the South Boston Planning Commission voted against it in a Wednesday evening meeting.

The proposed location of the project is at 2101 River Road, on the east side of River Road across from the intersection with Old Grubby Road.

The planning commission voted to recommend town council’s denial of a special use permit for a maximum capacity 10-megawatt solar operation and battery storage facility in the rural residential agricultural district of town. Council is expected to vote on the fate of the project at its Tuesday evening meeting.

The planning commission voted on the application from VA Sinai LLC following a public hearing in which several neighbors of the proposed solar site spoke in opposition to it. Before the neighbors spoke, William Pham, co-founder of the Carlsbad, California-based company Cenergy Power, highlighted the benefits of the solar project.

William Pham, co-owner of Cenergy Power, gives an overview of a proposed 10-megawatt solar site and battery storage facility at 2101 River Road at a South Boston Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday evening.

“Our goal is to really be a good neighbor and community member,” Pham stated, pointing out that the solar site would power about 300 homes with “clean energy.” The entire acreage of the site would be 104.93, with the project area encompassing 52.98 acres.

Pham noted that Cenergy would make a $500,000 contribution to the town of South Boston as part of the terms of the project in addition to paying property taxes on the land and $280,000 in revenue share over a 20-year timeframe. Pham also said the project would be set back 500 feet from the road and solar panels would not be visible from the road or other adjoining properties because of buffers.

Joint owner of one of the parcels of land at the proposed solar site, Dr. Gerald Burnette Sr., urged the planning commission to honor his property rights and approve the permit for the solar site.

“Since I’ve owned this property for over 20 years, I’ve had many buyers approach me,” Burnette related. “I have declined all of these, and I think the Sinai Project LLC is the most reasonable of all these options that have been presented to me.”

However, nearby residents made it clear that they did not want solar panels to be part of the landscape of their neighborhood. One of those residents is adjoining property owner William Bryant Claiborne.

Claiborne shared that he and his wife Harriet have resided at 1183 River Road for 30 years. Claiborne described the community as “peaceful” and “quiet.” He expressed concern that the tranquility of the place he calls “home” will be disturbed if the solar panels are constructed close to his property, with the access road to the solar site being constructed as he terms it “in our backyard.”

“We didn’t expect anything else to come to disturb the residential nature of that community,” Claiborne told the commissioners. “We’re trying to build up the morale of that community. Keep the residential nature of Sinai so we can grow and not be turned backwards.”

Walter C. Potts Jr., a resident of 201 Wildflower Drive, which he described as “within shouting distance” of the proposed solar site, expressed concerns that that solar panels could lead to a devaluation of his property.

Hubert Vass, resident of 2036 River Road, expresses concerns about a proposed solar site in his neighborhood at a Wednesday evening meeting of the South Boston Planning Commission.

“Woodlawn Park has been a real thriving neighborhood. I hate to see my property value go down,” Potts said.

Adjoining property owners to the proposed solar site, Hubert and Sandra Vass, also shared their worries about the proposed site.

“I have seen quite a few of these areas where these solar panels are and they really are not that pretty,” Sandra Vass told the commissioners. Pham explained in the overview of his proposed solar project that cones had been placed on the River Road property marking the bounds of the project area. Vass revealed that she could still see the cone in the field from her front porch. As a nurse, Vass said she also has health concerns about living in such close proximity to solar panels.

Like Potts, Hubert Vass worries about the impact of the solar panel on his property value.

“As property owners, we pay not one but two property taxes yearly. We value our property,” Hubert Vass stated. “I ask you, ‘Would you really want a solar farm in your community or in your neighborhood?’”

Robert Wimbish, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church on Jeffress Boulevard, shared his concern that the solar project access would block off the rear entrance of the church on the backside of the church cemetery.

“My concern is with it being a growing church, you’re going to be blocking off the whole back entrance,” Wimbish said.

After a brief discussion among the commissioners, Commissioner Anthony Womack made a motion to recommend denial of the permit, citing concerns about it voiced by neighbors and unanswered questions as the reason for his motion. Commissioner Sharon Harris seconded the motion, and the motion carried in a 6-0 vote.

Before casting her vote, Commissioner Beverly Crowder expressed empathy for the Sinai property owners who had been living in the area for decades.

This area in which the solar panels are being constructed, I heard that the residents here have been living here on the assumption and the insight this will continue to be a residential and an agricultural community, Crowder said. “I don’t have anything against solar panels. My concern is that I see something wrong with placing them in a residential agricultural area when the residents have been there for this period of time.”

Commissioner Ken Buckley, who is a licensed realtor, remarked that he was unsure whether someone would want to a buy a property that had a “visible solar farm in the backyard.” However, he said he also could understand the perspective of the property owner, who wants to use his property how he chooses.

“Finding that medium on what a good use, that’s definitely a challenge for everybody,” Buckley said.

Commission Chairman George Leonard advised Pham not to give up on the solar project but rather, “You may want to take some time to sit down with the neighbors in a meeting and listen to their concerns and see if you can answer them.”

Miranda Baines is a staff writer for The Gazette-Virginian. Contact her at [email protected].