Huntingburg Council: Solar park push-back heard from residents
The potential construction of a solar park on city-owned land is receiving some push-back from neighbors to the proposed project.
During Monday night’s Huntingburg City council meeting, Steve Beck, who lives on Northview Drive near the proposed site at Chestnut and Phoenix Drive, addressed the council last night with concerns about the solar park.
“I’ve spoken with several of my neighbors; I’ve not found any that feel that putting the solar panels so near our residential houses is a good idea,” Beck said and listed several reasons. “Concern of property values, concern of the chain link fence, just generally being an eye sore in a residential area. Property values diminishing … we just feel there’s better places that it could be put.”
Indiana Municipal Power Association (IMPA) wants to generate around 50 megawatts of power from a collection of 1 to 2 megawatt fields around the state. Hence the opportunity to place one in Huntingburg.
In January, Dan Worl with Indiana Municipal Power Association (IMPA) presented the concept to construct a park with a solar array to collect sunlight and turn it into electricity.
Mayor Denny Spinner told Beck that the discussions on the solar park would continue at the next city council meeting on February 26th. He also said that the city would schedule a meeting with all of the homeowners in the area once drawings from IMPA were received on what the solar array would look like.
City Attorney Phil Schneider pointed out to Beck that the public would have several opportunities to voice their opinions. The first time being when the proposed location will be considered for rezoning at a board of zoning appeals meeting.
IMPA plans on investing $2 million into the project and is seeking a tax abatement on the project. Here is a previous story on the project.
The council also took the following actions.
-Passed the introduction of Ordinance 2015-07 which would mandate lock boxes on all new construction with sprinkler and alarm systems. The idea originated with council member Glenn Kissling, Huntingburg’s assistant fire chief, who reported how important it is for fire departments to have quick access to buildings in case of a fire or other emergency. And, Knox Boxes are more secure than carrying keys on fire trucks for every large building in the city.
Kissling asked for the council to hold off on the final vote for passage of the ordinance until the next meeting, which would provide ample time for the public to contact the city with any additional concerns about the ordinance.
More information available here.
-Heard an update from city planning director Paul Lake, on the forced main project. Lake told the council that two appraisals for the property at 1019 North Main Street have been receive by the city. He asked the council to consider whether they would prefer to negotiate a utility easement or make an outright purchase of the property on which the city would bury the 12-inch wastewater main.
The first appraisal was for $19,400, and the second was $23,600. The city would have to negotiate a final price on the property with the owner.
Attorney Phil Schneider pointed out that an easement for the utility would be less attractive to the owner, because the installation of the wastewater line would render the property unusable for any type of construction, which would sit over the line.
The council passed an agreement to enter into negotiations with the property owner.
Passed the following:
- Fire protection contract with Patoka Township for $26,000.
- Recreation services contract with Patoka Township for $12,000.
- An introduction to ordinance 2015-04 for additional appropriations of $65,000 for the EMS building from 2014 to 2015 because the project went past the end of the year deadline.
- Ordinance 2015-05 for a loan from the electric cash reserve fund to wastewater utility in the amount of $200,000 to fund the force main project.
- Resolution 2015-06 to transfer surplus earnings of the electric utility ($175,000) and natural gas utility ($175,000) into the general fund. This is a standard annual action by the city.
