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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20 Statement of Intent rev 080720 August 7, 2020 Application Narrative and Statement of Intent for Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 230 Court Square Suite B102, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Bartonsville Energy Facility 2 Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY 3. PROJECT OVERVIEW FACILITY SUMMARY CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE COMPLIANCE WITH COUNTY REGULATION COORDINATION WITH STEPHENS CITY 4. ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS VISUAL ECOLOGICAL AND DRAINAGE CULTURAL RESOURCES NOISE TRAFFIC LIGHTING ODORS, DUST, FUMES, VIBRATIONS FIRE SAFETY / SECURITY COMMUNITY OUTREACH 5. DECOMMISSIONING LIST OF EXHIBITS EXHIBIT A – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SUPPORT EXHIBITS EXHIBIT B – CONCEPT PLAN EXHIBIT C – CULTURAL RESOURCES REPORT EXHIBIT D – PRELIMINARY DECOMMISSIONING PLAN 3 1. Executive Summary Bartonsville Energy Facility, LLC, a subsidiary of Torch Clean Energy (“Torch”), requests a Conditional Use Permit (“CUP”) to allow the construction and operation of a photovoltaic solar energy generation facility (the “Project”) as described in this Application. The Project is proposed on the parcels identified by Frederick County as Tax Map IDs 74-A-45, 74-A-44A, 74-A-3, 74-A-4, 74-A-6C, as well as lots 1 through 12 of the Springdale Glen subdivision and lots 1 through 52 of the Carrollton Estates subdivision. The Project area includes parcels that total 1,160.5 acres (the “Property”). A maximum of 690 acres will be used for solar modules, and a maximum of 705 acres will be disturbed. The majority of the site is located in the Back Creek Magisterial District in Frederick County and a portion is in the Opequon Magisterial District in Stephens City. The Project has been sited and proposed with the following considerations: ▪ The Project location was selected for its proximity to existing transmission facilities and minimal visual impact to existing residential areas. ▪ The Project will vacate two large subdivisions on agricultural land. This will maintain the character of the County’s rural landscape and settlement pattern. ▪ The Project has been planned and designed to avoid impacts to cultural and environmental resources. ▪ The Project will provide clean energy that matches the electricity consumption of approximately 15,000 homes in Virginia and will help the Commonwealth meet its goals for the adoption of clean energy. ▪ The Project will provide personal property and increased real estate taxes to the County over the course of its life as well as injecting direct economic activity into the County during the construction and operating periods. If approved by the Board of Supervisors, the Project will bring economic benefits to Frederick County with no detrimental effects on the neighboring properties or the County as a whole. Torch Clean Energy Torch Clean Energy is developer and owner of renewable energy generation facilities in the United States with offices in Virginia and Colorado. We have developed solar and wind facilities, including the Red Horse Project, a 101 Megawatt (“MW”) solar and wind hybrid project. Torch has over 500MW of solar under development in the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the Chester Solar Technology Park in Chesterfield County, which was permitted in September of 2019 , and the Jarratt Energy Facility, which was permitted in March of 2020. To date, Torch has developed and financed over $600 million of renewable energy projects through the c ountry. 4 2. Description of Property The Project Property is zoned RA (Frederick County) and R1 (Stephens City) and consists of the following parcels: Parcels by Usage and Acreage Parcel Acreage in Frederick County Acreage in Stephens City Zoning Use Used for Solar Generating Equipment 74-A-45 11.00 85.55 R1 Crops 74-A-44A 0.00 40.01 R1 Crops 74-A-3 200.00 0.00 RA Crops/Event Center 74-A-4 265.41 0.00 RA Crops / Forested 74-A-6C 3.80 0.00 RA Crops / Forested Lots 1 – 12, inclusive, Springdale Glen 53.20 0.00 RA Crops / Orchard Lots 1 – 52, inclusive, Carrollton Estates 307.90 0.00 RA Crops / Orchard Used for Generation-Tie Line and Interconnection Facilities 74-A-44 2.93 6.88 R1 Residence 74-A-35A 18.00 0.00 RA Crops 74-A-20 162.0 0.00 RA Crops 74-A-21 0 3.52 R1 Vacant The Carrollton Estates subdivision contains 52 parcels and the Springdale Glen subdivision contains 12 parcels. Prior to the approval of the Site Plan, each of these subdivisions will be vacated. As noted and highlighted above, Parcels 74-A-44A, 74-A-44, 74-A-45, and 74-A-21 contain a total of 135.96 acres in Stephens City. These properties are subject to the regulations of the Town, and the Project will receive separate approvals for the use of this land. The entirety of the Project is shown in this application for clarity. The Property is located approximately 1.2 miles west of I-81 and Stephens City, and comprises agricultural fields, orchards, and forest stands. The surrounding properties are primarily rural residences, farmland, and forested areas. An existing FirstEnergy 138 kV transmission line runs less than one mile to the east of the Project site, adjacent to the railroad corridor and industrial district flanking Stephens City. This transmission line runs between the Bartonville and Meadowbrook substations. 5 Article IV of the Frederick County Zoning Ordinance permits utility-scale solar facilities in the RA district with a CUP. The Applicant requests a CUP to allow the construction and operation of the Project on the Property. 3. Project Overview Facility Summary The Bartonsville Energy Facility will produce over 180,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy in its first year of operation, which represents the energy consumption of approximately 1 5,000 homes. The Project will generate electricity from photovoltaic solar modules that will be attached to a racking supported by driven posts. Single-axis trackers will be used to follow the sun from East to West and increase the efficiency of the Project. A series of central inverters will be used to convert the electricity from direct current to alternating current. The Project will interconnect to a FirstEnergy 138-kilovolt transmission line adjacent to the CSX railroad corridor. The Project substation and switching station will be built on parcels 74-A-20 and 74-A-21, and will be linked to the Project site via a 34.5kV distribution voltage Generation-Tie line that will run along an easement corridor crossing parcels 74- A-20, 74-A-35A, and 74-A-44. This Generation-Tie line will be underground. No new transmission- voltage lines will be built for the Project. The Project will not use grid-scale energy storage. Batteries will not be used, except for small backup batteries for the solar tracker motors, substation, and associated equipment. The Project will be developed generally as depicted on Exhibit B, the Concept Plan, as included with this Application. The Concept Plan provides a map of the solar array area, the proposed point of interconnection with the transmission system, vegetative buffer zones, perimeter fencing, access points, and other features of the Project. As shown on the Concept Plan, three points of access are proposed, two of which will be from Springdale Road (Route 649). An entrance to the northern section of the Project will be located approximately 0.75 miles east of the intersection with Germany Road (Route 625), and an entrance to the southern portion will follow Carrollton Lane. A third, southeastern access will be on Passage Road (Route 648), approximately 0.3 miles from the intersection with Marlboro Road. Construction Schedule The construction of the Project is estimated to take approximately 1 2 months to achieve substantial completion. The first phase of the Project will be civil works, such as area-specific grading, in order to prepare for the installation of the solar equipment. The second phase will consist of the mechanical and electrical installation of the solar equipment . The final phase is the testing of the facility and the energization. Phase 1 –Site Preparation and Civil Work: 3-6 Months Phase 2 - Mechanical and Electrical Installation: 4-6 Months 6 Phase 3 – Facility Testing and Energization: 3 Months Overlap between the first two phases is expected, subject to the final construction schedule. Additionally, construction of the interconnection facilities by FirstEnergy will span all three phases of construction. Compliance with County Regulation The Applicant completed a Pre-Application meeting with Frederick County Planning and has gathered and addressed feedback from required County agencies. The Applicant conferred with the County Historic Resources Advisory Board to discuss historical and cultural resources in the County. Additional CUP materials have been compiled according to the County Zoning Ordina nce and Planning process guidelines. Coordination with Stephens City The Applicant is working concurrently with Stephens City to permit the portion of the Project that falls within the Town. This Application requests a CUP for the County portion of the P roject but shows the entirety of the Project for clarity. 4. Analysis of Impacts Pursuant to Chapter 165, Part 103 of the Zoning Ordinance, a CUP may be granted where the Board of Supervisors finds that (i) the proposed use is in accordance with the policies expressed in the Comprehensive Plan of the County, and (ii) the proposed use is in harmony and shall not adversely affect the use and enjoyment of surrounding properties (§ 165-103.02). The Project is supported by the 2035 Comprehensive goals. In particular, the Plan seeks to cluster residential development in appropriate locations and support the agricultural economy and allow residents to harness new opportunities. The Project will vacate two large subdivisions in the Agricultural district and allow residents to harness a new technology that constitutes a safe, passive, and temporary use of the land. In accordance with the criteria set forth in the Zoning Ordinance for CUP approval, the proposed Project will not adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of persons residing or working in the neighborhood of the proposed use and will not be detrimental to public welfare or injurious to the Property or improvements in the neighborhood. As a passive use located in a Rural district, the Project will not be detrimental to, or substantively change, the character of the surrounding area. The proposed Project will not cause any increase in demand for County services. It will have minimal impacts on drainage and erosion and will not require the use of local water or sewer utilities. Erosion and sediment controls and permanent stormwater management facilities will be provided as part of the Project to the extent required by app licable laws. The Project will not significantly increase traffic 7 in the area, and no public road improvements will be required for the construction or servicing of the Project. The effects of the Project are evaluated as follows: Visual Along the perimeter of the Property, a setback from the Property line to solar generating equipment shall be used. Within this setback, a buffer consisting of new and/or existing vegetation will be used to screen the Project, as outlined below and shown in Exhibit B. The setback from external roads and property lines will generally be 100 feet, with the fence installed between 75 and 100 feet from the property lines. These setbacks shall not apply to the undergound Generation Tie -Line or the interconnection facilities. The most traveled routes near the Project are Middle Road, to the north, and Marlboro road, to the south. The Project has no frontage on either of these routes , except for the underground distribution voltage Generation-Tie line crossing occurring near the intersection of Marlboro Road and Passage Lane. The Project has approximately 0.25 miles of frontage along Passage Road and 0.85 miles of frontage along Springdale Road. The Landscaping Plan will minimize visual impacts to surrounding properties and rights-of-way by maintaining and enhancing existing tree lines and vegetative buffers, while providing for new plantings in targeted areas. Specifically, the Project will do the following: ▪ Maintain existing tree lines along western and southern boundaries of the Carrollton Estates and Springdale Glen property; ▪ Use existing topography to ensure that the Project is not visible from Middle Road; ▪ Plant new vegetative buffers on the southern side of parcel 74-A-45, along Springdale Road; and along a property line to the north of Springdale Road. This plan is depicted in Exhibit B. Ecological and Drainage Wetlands will be delineated and avoided in the construction of the Project. Additionally, the Project will complete thorough consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality as part of the “Permit by Rule” process for renewable energy facilities. The Project will submit Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management plans prior to the issuance of the building permit when the design is nearly complete. Because the racking system uses driven posts for structural support, changes to the impervious surface will be limited to inverter and transformer pads, access roads, and interconnection equipment . These uses constitute a small percentage of the total project area. The Project will be designed to minimize stormwater impacts and accommodate existing topography to the extent possible. 8 Cultural Resources The Project has undergone an archeological and architectural study in accordance with County regulations and will not directly impact any identified landmarks. Cultural and historical resources in the vicinity of the Project are described in Exhibit C. Additionally, the Project will require concurrence from the Department of Historic Resources as part of the “Permit by Rule” process for renewable energy facilities. Noise Once operational, the Project will not be audible to adjacent landowners. Construction activities will generally be limited to daylight hours, with pile driving work scheduled for daylight hours between Monday and Saturday. Traffic General construction traffic will use the Project’s three access points on Springdale Road and Passage Road and will use the Project’s internal road network to move around the site. General construction traffic consists of personal vehicles (e.g. pickup trucks) carrying passengers, tools, and minor equipment to and around the Project site. Due to the proximity of the Project to I -81 and the existing road network, there will be little impact to current traffic. Component deliveries (e.g. solar panels, inverters, concrete trucks, construction equipment, etc.) will primarily access the site from I-81, Marlboro Road, and Passage Road. The laydown area for solar array deliveries will be on Parcel 74-A-44A. A separate laydown area for the Project Interconnection will be on Parcels 74-A-20 and 74-A-21, which will be accessed from Marlboro Road. Operations and Maintenance for the Project will not measurably increase vehicular traffic. Lighting Except for minimal safety and security lighting in a few locations, the Project will not be lit. Any installed lighting will comply with applicable County ordinances. Odors, Dust, Fumes, Vibrations The Project will not generate air emissions. Once operational, no odors, trash, or recycled materials will be produced. No fuel or fuel storage and no outside storage will be needed on the Project after construction is completed. There will be no impact on water or air quality. Fire Safety / Security The Project will not pose increased security or safety risks or fire hazards. Once the Project is constructed, a permanent perimeter/boundary fence will enclose the solar panels. The fence will have a minimum height of six (6) feet. The fence will be posted with security signage along with contact information for a 24-hour manned communication system. The three site entrances and internal road network will provide access to every part of the Project. 9 The Project will be monitored remotely on a 24/7 basis. The Operations Team will have the ability to remotely de-energize the Project if necessary and immediately contact and coordinate with the appropriate local fire and EMS personnel. Training will be pr ovided to local fire and EMS on FirstEnergy emergency procedures and notification in case of emergency. Community Outreach During the last nine months, the Applicant has met with landowners in the vicinity of the Project site, including residents and owners of businesses. These meetings have influenced the Project’s Conceptual Plan, particularly with respect to the buffer planting and use of existing topography to screen the Project from view. 5. Decommissioning The Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia requires the owner, lessee, or developer of a solar project to enter into a written agreement to decommission the project prior to the issuance of a site plan . To support this application, the Applicant has provided Exhibit D, the Preliminary Decommissioning Plan. Prior to the issuance of the Site Plan, a Decommissioning Cost Estimate and means of financial security will be provided in accordance with Exhibit D and Virginia Code.