Surry County supervisors have rejected a solar project across the street from the historic Bacon’s Castle homestead, according to the Smithfield Times.
The County’s review of the proposal noted several problems. The developer, Pine Gate Renewables, had proposed installing the solar field on a 220-acre parcel that included prime agricultural land taken out of production in anticipation of project’s approval. The solar field would also have been less than 200 feet away from over two dozen residential properties and within the view shed of Bacon’s Castle, the oldest brick residence in the United States and built about 1665.
Key elements of the proposal were still “to be developed” when the Surry County Board of Supervisors reviewed it. This included the erosion and sediment control plan, a critical step in preventing stormwater overflow into the nearby James River, which is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Proposed solar farm near Bacon’s Castle voted down
Surry County supervisors voted on Jan. 5 to officially reject a solar farm proposed for a 220-acre parcel across the street from the 17th century Bacon’s Castle homestead. The supervisors had previously considered the project in June, when (…) (click here to read more)
