2024.05.06 RESO 2024-18 Denying Solar Farm on Everton

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RESOLUTION 2024-18 APPROVING FINDINGS OF FACT DENYING A SITE PLAN AND INTERIM USE PERMIT FOR A SOLAR FARM ON PROPERTY LOCATED EAST OF EVERTON AVENUE NORTH AND NORTH OF 149TH STREET NORTH WHEREAS, EESolar13, LLC. has requested approval of a Site Plan and Interim Use Permit (IUP)to allow for a solar farm on the property legally described as follows: See Attached WHEREAS,the Planning Commission has reviewed the application at a duly called public hearing and recommended approval, and; WHEREAS,based on all of the proceedings and hearings herein,the City Council finds as follows; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUGO, MINNESOTA, that it should and hereby does deny the request by EESolarl3, LLC, for an interim use permit to allow for a solar farm, based on the following findings: 1. The solar farm consists of the following structures and equipment: A solar array made of silicon-based solar panels connected to steel I-beams which are embedded into the ground a minimum of nine feet in depth, a galvanized chain-link fence with posts embedded in concrete, a 200 square foot equipment pad with an electrical transformer, equipment rack, and utility meters, and a 4,400 square foot gravel access driveway. The solar panel array encompasses 5 acres of the 12-acre parcel. 2. The lot area upon which the solar farm is proposed is a narrow lot of agricultural property that has been zoned Agricultural (AG). The area was incorporated in to the MUSA in the comprehensive plan written in 1998, and later removed from the MUSA in a 2006 Comprehensive Plan Amendment because of a stated desire of the city council and residents to preserve the area as large lot residential with the uses typical of such areas including light agricultural characteristics such as animal husbandry and small garden plots. It is not an agricultural area that is surrounded, by and large,by other large-scale residential parcels or forestry uses as may be the case in connection with properties in other, non-isolated agricultural districts. The neighborhood, thus, includes not just agricultural parcels (albeit smaller ones)but also extensive residential development, especially to its immediate east and north. 3. The specific parcel proposed for the solar farm is unique in that it was specifically reserved, along with a handful of others to remain an agricultural enclave surrounded, however,by more urbanized, and denser development. Thus, although it is zoned agricultural and outside of the MUSA it is immediately adjacent to high density residential development and more urbanized parcels than would be the case if it was contiguous to multiple agricultural parcels as is typical elsewhere in the City. 4. This neighborhood is also the only area of the city that is zoned AG but has the land use designation in the current Comprehensive Plan of Large Lot Residential (LL). The lot development is consistent with large lot residential.