Date: January 16, 2020
To: Members of the Planning Commission
From: Mikayla Schmidt, City Planner
Title
Consider a Conditional Use Permit Request for a 1MW Solar Garden.
Body
Action Requested:
The Planning Commission is requested to make a recommendation to City Council regarding a Conditional Use Permit application for a 1MW community solar garden.
Summary Report:
Hyacinth Solar, LLC is proposing a 1MW solar garden project located west of the Northfield Hospital and Benedictine Living Community in Dakota County. St. Olaf College owns the A-S: Agricultural zoned parcel which is located within corporate limits. The project is adjacent to, and south of, the existing solar garden lying north of North Avenue/330th St. and west of the intersection with Eaves Avenue.
Geronimo Energy, a renewable energy developer based in Edina, Minnesota, is developing the proposed Hyacinth project. Geronimo Energy will use inverters and a linear axis tracking system. The estimated start date for construction is spring 2020.
The applicant will be providing a revised lease agreement and property description document to replace Exhibit A and A-1, which currently reflect an earlier layout for the project. These exhibits will be updated to accurately reflect the proposed project area.
Based on the project review and criteria (listed below), staff recommends approval of up to a 1MW solar garden.
Conditional Use Permit Analysis:
A solar garden is allowed as a conditional use according to Table 2.7-1: Permitted Principal Uses. A conditional use permit (CUP) follows the Type 4 Review Procedure found in Section 5.4.7 of the LDC. When reviewing a CUP, the following criteria are to be considered:
a) The proposed use is allowed as a conditional use in the district for which it is proposed.
Yes, commercial solar farms are an allowed conditional use in the Agricultural (A-S) zoning district per Table 2.7-1.
b) The conditional use will be in accordance with the general objecti...
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