While this large solar energy system does not have a direct influence on my daily life I am very concerned with the impact that it will have on some of our most valuable farmland in Augusta County. Take a ride down I81 to exit 200(Fairfield Exit) and look how that solar facility has ruined what was once fine farm crop land. It is ruined and there is no possible way for it to be turned back into productive farm land. Any person that tells you that solar farm land can be put back into agriculture is lying to you. Secondly, These parcels are located in Urban Service and Community Development Areas. These policy areas are slated by the Comprehensive Plan as the main growth areas of the County, where residential, industrial, and commercial growth is encouraged. In the Future Land Use Map, these parcels are planned for residential, industrial, and planned residential. By taking up 470 acres of developable land in Stuarts Draft, one of the main growth areas in the County, this project would prevent residential and industrial development on the project parcels for at least 30 years. The project parcels are located either in an Urban Service Area or Community Development Area of the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan strongly discourages solar from locating in these policy areas. Thank you for your time!
I support this project. The landowners have listened to their neighbors and the county and reduced the footprint of this project. Projects like this will help Virginia and Dominion Power meet their goals of Net Zero of methane emissions by 2050.
The project will support the county by providing $10 million or more in additional tax revenue. That’s over $333,000 per year.
The project will respect landowner’s rights and diversify the farmers income and allow them to continue to farm other land and remain in their homes.
Solar projects are safe and quiet neighbors that are low impact on the community and environment.
Solar will reduce pollution from agricultural production and help keep Back Creek and the South River cleaner.
What are the choices?
In 2004 utility scale solar fields were not a consideration in 20-year-old Comp Plan. The impact hundreds or thousands of homes and industrial sites will change the lifestyle of Stuarts Draft.
This land is now farmland, but its future is either homes, industry, or solar. Only one (solar) maintains our rural and open space for current residents and future generations.
Remember, the land has funds set aside to pay to return the land to the state it is in now. If homes or factories are built on land it will never be farmable.
Please support our county and environment and vote in support of this project.
Thank you for your time and thorough consideration of these issues on behalf of those who will be affected by the Augusta Solar Plan. I am a homeowner in the Shalom Rd. area that will be affected by the Augusta Solar Concept Plan (Site 3 - TMPs 076-44A). I would like to voice my concern with the "large solar energy system" that is being proposed for the Waynesboro Nurseries property specifically, as well as the total 1,693.10 acres that is being proposed in the community where my family and I live. This will be a devastating blow to a beautiful and small community. It will degrade the appearance and value of this area of the county. We moved to Augusta Co. in the Shalom Rd. area for the beauty of the area and the enjoy the privileges that come with being zoned GA. We never would have chosen to live amount solar fields. This will also detract others from wanting to settle in this area. As a real estate agent, I believe that it will devalue homes in the surrounding area. Looking outside your window and seeing rows of solar panels goes against the very reason people want to live in this area. Solar companies are not concerned with the quality of life of those surrounding a solar farm. Though change in inevitable, and no-one really likes it, this kind of change is particularly undesirable to the homeowners and surrounding community. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Angela Adams
We support this project as a good example of clean development that should be done in Augusta County. It is sited in an area that is part of the long range comprehensive plan for development, would increase the tax base without adding to traffic, schools, emergency services burdens and represents forward thinking by the County over more factories or distribution centers. At the end of the project those landowners who do not want to continue will have the land restored to as it was before the installation. This is a win for Augusta County overall.
My family and I moved into our house off of Shalom from Norfolk nearly 11 years ago. And when we did, we felt so fortunate to find such a beautiful area and house with such beautiful views. This was soon confirmed to us from friends and family who came to visit from out of town and saw our slice of heaven for the first time. People quickly became regular visitors to be able to enjoy the beauty. Then my parents, my wife's parents, my brother and his family and then my brother's wife's mother, all moved to the area from out of state. All a result of having been able to enjoy such amazing nature and views while visiting. In fact my parents moved across the street from us. Even locals who have lived in the area for years, could not believe the views we had from our house. I strongly think this is one of the biggest draws to our area and we should do nothing to put that at risk. My house and many of my neighbors houses sit up on a hill that will directly overlook the Site 3 Plan. Seeing the acres and acres of solar panels will be unavoidable.
I moved my family here and a part of my business here because this area had something Staunton and Charlottesville could not offer me and my family - a house with a view. And now a few people are going to be able to take that away for what probably amounts to hundreds of homeowners. This was voted down before for a reason. Let's not make a mistake that we will have to live with for decades. Let's preserve our greatest asset.
As a homeowner off of Shalom and directly impacted by the proposed plan for Site 3, I wanted to express my deep concern and opposition to the solar project being brought forth. Despite “barriers” claiming to be put in place, we would still have direct views of solar fields, construction, lights, and views of the solar fields. We all know that our area is rolling hills and fields, and that not only our home, but our neighbors, and those driving by, will have views of the solar fields. There is no doubt that this project will negatively impact the value of our house and our neighborhood. I know that we would not have purchased our house several years ago if it overlooked the solar panels that is being proposed.
Stuart’s Draft is known for its farms, agriculture, trees, hills, beautiful views of mountains, and green fields. It’s what attracted us to this area, caused us to build our life and a business here, and invest our money and energy into the valley. I’m asking for you to listen to the voices of those directly impacted by having this built by their homes, by my home and my children’s home, and not let outside big business drown out what is important, it’s people. We don’t want fields of solar farm and the flood of them that you see spreading in southern parts of our state. That is not who we are. Please stop big solar from taking over our area and our homes.
While this large solar energy system does not have a direct influence on my daily life I am very concerned with the impact that it will have on some of our most valuable farmland in Augusta County. Take a ride down I81 to exit 200(Fairfield Exit) and look how that solar facility has ruined what was once fine farm crop land. It is ruined and there is no possible way for it to be turned back into productive farm land. Any person that tells you that solar farm land can be put back into agriculture is lying to you. Secondly, These parcels are located in Urban Service and Community Development Areas. These policy areas are slated by the Comprehensive Plan as the main growth areas of the County, where residential, industrial, and commercial growth is encouraged. In the Future Land Use Map, these parcels are planned for residential, industrial, and planned residential. By taking up 470 acres of developable land in Stuarts Draft, one of the main growth areas in the County, this project would prevent residential and industrial development on the project parcels for at least 30 years. The project parcels are located either in an Urban Service Area or Community Development Area of the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan strongly discourages solar from locating in these policy areas. Thank you for your time!
I support this project. The landowners have listened to their neighbors and the county and reduced the footprint of this project. Projects like this will help Virginia and Dominion Power meet their goals of Net Zero of methane emissions by 2050.
The project will support the county by providing $10 million or more in additional tax revenue. That’s over $333,000 per year.
The project will respect landowner’s rights and diversify the farmers income and allow them to continue to farm other land and remain in their homes.
Solar projects are safe and quiet neighbors that are low impact on the community and environment.
Solar will reduce pollution from agricultural production and help keep Back Creek and the South River cleaner.
What are the choices?
In 2004 utility scale solar fields were not a consideration in 20-year-old Comp Plan. The impact hundreds or thousands of homes and industrial sites will change the lifestyle of Stuarts Draft.
This land is now farmland, but its future is either homes, industry, or solar. Only one (solar) maintains our rural and open space for current residents and future generations.
Remember, the land has funds set aside to pay to return the land to the state it is in now. If homes or factories are built on land it will never be farmable.
Please support our county and environment and vote in support of this project.
Thank you for your time and thorough consideration of these issues on behalf of those who will be affected by the Augusta Solar Plan. I am a homeowner in the Shalom Rd. area that will be affected by the Augusta Solar Concept Plan (Site 3 - TMPs 076-44A). I would like to voice my concern with the "large solar energy system" that is being proposed for the Waynesboro Nurseries property specifically, as well as the total 1,693.10 acres that is being proposed in the community where my family and I live. This will be a devastating blow to a beautiful and small community. It will degrade the appearance and value of this area of the county. We moved to Augusta Co. in the Shalom Rd. area for the beauty of the area and the enjoy the privileges that come with being zoned GA. We never would have chosen to live amount solar fields. This will also detract others from wanting to settle in this area. As a real estate agent, I believe that it will devalue homes in the surrounding area. Looking outside your window and seeing rows of solar panels goes against the very reason people want to live in this area. Solar companies are not concerned with the quality of life of those surrounding a solar farm. Though change in inevitable, and no-one really likes it, this kind of change is particularly undesirable to the homeowners and surrounding community. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Angela Adams
We support this project as a good example of clean development that should be done in Augusta County. It is sited in an area that is part of the long range comprehensive plan for development, would increase the tax base without adding to traffic, schools, emergency services burdens and represents forward thinking by the County over more factories or distribution centers. At the end of the project those landowners who do not want to continue will have the land restored to as it was before the installation. This is a win for Augusta County overall.
My family and I moved into our house off of Shalom from Norfolk nearly 11 years ago. And when we did, we felt so fortunate to find such a beautiful area and house with such beautiful views. This was soon confirmed to us from friends and family who came to visit from out of town and saw our slice of heaven for the first time. People quickly became regular visitors to be able to enjoy the beauty. Then my parents, my wife's parents, my brother and his family and then my brother's wife's mother, all moved to the area from out of state. All a result of having been able to enjoy such amazing nature and views while visiting. In fact my parents moved across the street from us. Even locals who have lived in the area for years, could not believe the views we had from our house. I strongly think this is one of the biggest draws to our area and we should do nothing to put that at risk. My house and many of my neighbors houses sit up on a hill that will directly overlook the Site 3 Plan. Seeing the acres and acres of solar panels will be unavoidable.
I moved my family here and a part of my business here because this area had something Staunton and Charlottesville could not offer me and my family - a house with a view. And now a few people are going to be able to take that away for what probably amounts to hundreds of homeowners. This was voted down before for a reason. Let's not make a mistake that we will have to live with for decades. Let's preserve our greatest asset.
As a homeowner off of Shalom and directly impacted by the proposed plan for Site 3, I wanted to express my deep concern and opposition to the solar project being brought forth. Despite “barriers” claiming to be put in place, we would still have direct views of solar fields, construction, lights, and views of the solar fields. We all know that our area is rolling hills and fields, and that not only our home, but our neighbors, and those driving by, will have views of the solar fields. There is no doubt that this project will negatively impact the value of our house and our neighborhood. I know that we would not have purchased our house several years ago if it overlooked the solar panels that is being proposed.
Stuart’s Draft is known for its farms, agriculture, trees, hills, beautiful views of mountains, and green fields. It’s what attracted us to this area, caused us to build our life and a business here, and invest our money and energy into the valley. I’m asking for you to listen to the voices of those directly impacted by having this built by their homes, by my home and my children’s home, and not let outside big business drown out what is important, it’s people. We don’t want fields of solar farm and the flood of them that you see spreading in southern parts of our state. That is not who we are. Please stop big solar from taking over our area and our homes.