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Planning & Zoning Board <br />May 9, 2018 <br />Page 5 <br />APPROVED MINUTES <br /> Mr. Evenson asked if adding a solar farm could potentially delay development <br />o Mr. Grochala stated that they might need an interim use permit for <br />solar gardens due to a part time use of around 30 years <br /> Chair Tralle stated that in Lino Lakes there is an abundance of marginal land <br />o Does not make economic sense regarding taxes <br />o Technology has advanced in 5 years, wait another 5-10 years to see <br />what happens <br /> <br />Chair Tralle opened the public hearing at 8:12 P.M. <br /> Harold Galvin, applicant, addressed the Board questions and comments <br />o Subscriptions – energy only available to county or adjacent county <br />o Size – limited to 1 Megawatt (8 acres, power 300 homes) <br />o Screening – comply with ordinance <br />o Conditional Use Permit vs. IUP – 25 year investment <br />o Glare –mitigate glare with trees or fences <br />o Decommissioning – always a fear that a company would go bankrupt <br />o Maintenance –company wants to upkeep maintenance because any <br />kilowatt not produced per day costs the company money <br />o Vegetation – shade tolerant, low growth, shift to pollinator <br />o Location – wants to be close to substations, they connect to electrical <br />lines <br />o Time period – needs to be a fixed time period of roughly 25 years in <br />order to make money <br /> Board asked applicant <br />o Mr. Evenson asked about the bankruptcy <br /> Mr. Galvin responded by saying that American companies <br />couldn’t compete with economies of scale, such as China, who <br />can produce the panels for much cheaper <br />o Mr. Stimpson asked what the urban/rural percentages are for total solar <br />garden usage <br /> Mr. Harold stated it depends on the County, majority is rural <br />o Chair Tralle asked the location applicant is looking to put solar <br />gardens <br /> Mr. Grochala stated they would have to look into further <br />o Mr. Ruhland asked about ample acreage to allow for setbacks and <br />buffer <br /> Mr. Galvin stated that the buffer zone is built into the proposed <br />8 acres <br /> <br />There were no public comments. <br /> <br /> <br />Mr. Stimpson made a MOTION to close to the Public Hearing regarding Community <br />Solar Gardens. Motion was supported by Mr. Ruhland. Motion carried 6-0. <br /> <br />