BACKGROUND
The Commission enacted a six (6) month moratorium on the creation or expansion of any new ground mounted solar energy system in the County's planning jurisdiction, beginning October 7, 2019 and terminating April 7, 2020.
During the moratorium the Planning Board conducted research and received input from a variety of sources related to the solar industry resulting in the ZTA 02-19 proposed text amendments. These recommended amendments were presented to the Commission at its March 2, 2020 meeting. Based on feedback from the solar industry and questions from the Commission and Planning Board, the Commission stated its intention to extend the moratorium by at least four (4) additional months.
RECOMMENDATION
The public hearing for moratorium extension has been advertised and direct notice emailed to individuals that have expressed interest in the topic. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, Staff has encouraged anyone wanting to express an opinion on the matter to email their comments and suggestions to the solar.moratorium@rowancountync.gov account specifically established for this topic.
Although its initial intention was to extend by another four (4) months, the Commission may lengthen the moratorium based on current state of affairs. However, due to statutory limitations, Staff does not recommend the moratorium extend beyond another six (6) months. As such, the termination date in the accompanying moratorium ordinance has the option for selecting a four (4), five (5) or six (6) month duration.
Suggested date ranges for a four (4) month extension are: April 7 thru August 4, 2020; five (5) month extension are April 7 thru September 9, 2020; and six (6) month are April 7 thru October 6, 2020. If the process for adopting zoning text amendments takes less time than specified herein, the moratorium can likewise be rescinded.
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