The Linn County Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously in favor of a solar moratorium.
The Board is supporting an ordinance that places a moratorium on accepting rezoning applications for the Renewable Energy Overlay District (utility-scale solar applications). The moratorium will expire automatically after three months unless extended by resolution by the Board of Supervisors. The moratorium may be extended no more than three times for a maximum period of 12 months.
The moratorium period will allow staff to closely examine and analyze Linn County’s renewable energy standards taking lessons learned from the two recent utility-scale solar rezoning applications.
Linn County’s Planning & Development Department will also create Renewable Energy Review Committees to help look at specific areas of the renewable energy code including, setbacks, vegetation, screening and battery energy storage systems. The committees will begin meeting in November to help evaluate code updates and have input on the updated code.
Members of the public interested in being considered to serve on the voluntary review committees should complete the application available on Linn County’s website or call Planning & Development at 319-892-5130 for a paper application.
