Appeal filed in solar farm project

Project protestors gather again in Hinds County

Project protestors gather again in Hinds County

THE HINDS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, WITH MORE DETAILS. KYNDALL? TROY, MEGAN, THIS AFTERNOON A PROTEST WAS HELD BY RESIDENTS OF HINDS COUNTY AND RAYMOND OPPOSING THE SOUL CITY SOLAR FARM PROJECT. A SMALL GROUP OF PROTESTERS GATHERED THIS AFTERNOON AT THE HINDS COUNTY COURTHOUSE REPRESENTING OVER TWELVE-HUNDRED RESIDENTS THAT ARE OPPOSING THE SOUL CITY SOLAR UTILITY- SCALE SOLAR FARM PROJECT..WHICH WILL BE BETWEEN 4000-6500 ACRES OF PRIVATELY OWNED LAND TO POWER OVER 90,000 HOMES. THE PROJECT WAS VOTED ON AND APPROVED EARLIER THIS MONTH. ONE RESIDENT SAYS, SHE IS APPALLED. TAKE SOT ALLISON LAUDERDALE 5:08-5:30 <IT'S APPALLING. IT IS ABSOLUTELY APPALLING THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE UNDERHANDEDLY GONE BEHIND OUR BACK BASICALLY. AND WE THEY'VE HAD THREE TO FOUR YEARS TO PREPARE FOR THIS AND THEY GIVE US THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. AT MEETINGS. AND IT'S IT IS IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING, AND IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.>> OTHER RESIDENTS SHARE CONCERNS OF THE LACK OF MISSISSIPPI AND HINDS COUNTY ZONING REGULATIONS AND PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO UTILITY- SCALE SOLAR FARMS AND THE SOLAR INDUSTRY. OVER 1,000 RESIDENTS SIGNED A PETITION AGAINST THE PROJECT, IN FAVOR OF A ONE-YEAR MORATORIUM. IN A STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FOR APEX CLEAN ENERGY BRIAN O'SHEA, "SOUL CITY SOLAR IS A MAJOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR HINDS COUNTY. WE ARE PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH LOCAL FARMERS, BUSINESSES, AND WORKERS TO DELIVER SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PROJECT, INCLUDING OVER $150 MILLION IN NEW LOCAL TAX REVENUE AND HUNDREDS OF CONSTRUCTION JOBS. WE HAVE INCORPORATED SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM OUR OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 14TH AND THE PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD ON MAY 28TH. WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE IN FEEDBACK TO IMPROVE THE PROJECT FURTHER LEADING UP TO CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR." S THE EIGHT PAGE APPEAL ALSO LISTS CONCERNS OF AN AD-VALOREM TAX, ROADS TO BE IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. THE HINDS COUNTY BOAR

Appeal filed in solar farm project

Project protestors gather again in Hinds County

An appeal has been filed to block the building of a solar farm in rural Hinds County.More than 1,000 people signed a petition against the Soul City Solar project. It would create a solar farm covering between 4,000 and 6,500 acres of privately owned land and would power more than 90,000 homes.The Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of the project earlier this month.A group of protestors gathered outside the Hinds County Courthouse in Raymond Friday.Allison Lauderdale believes there was no due process."Lack of due process, according to Section 2406, conditional uses of the Hinds County Zoning Code, a public hearing is required for applicants seeking a conditional use permit. A public hearing conducted by a governmental agency or organization was never conducted. On May 14, Apex Clean Energy conducted an information meeting in which residents were not adequately afforded the opportunity to ask questions and address their concerns in the manner in which a formal public hearing would have allowed," she said.The eight-page appeal filed in Hinds County Circuit Court also lists concerns about an ad valorem tax, roads that will be impacted by construction, and environmental impacts.The board of supervisors has not commented on the appeal.

RAYMOND, Miss. —

An appeal has been filed to block the building of a solar farm in rural Hinds County.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition against the Soul City Solar project. It would create a solar farm covering between 4,000 and 6,500 acres of privately owned land and would power more than 90,000 homes.

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of the project earlier this month.

A group of protestors gathered outside the Hinds County Courthouse in Raymond Friday.

Allison Lauderdale believes there was no due process.

"Lack of due process, according to Section 2406, conditional uses of the Hinds County Zoning Code, a public hearing is required for applicants seeking a conditional use permit. A public hearing conducted by a governmental agency or organization was never conducted. On May 14, Apex Clean Energy conducted an information meeting in which residents were not adequately afforded the opportunity to ask questions and address their concerns in the manner in which a formal public hearing would have allowed," she said.

The eight-page appeal filed in Hinds County Circuit Court also lists concerns about an ad valorem tax, roads that will be impacted by construction, and environmental impacts.

The board of supervisors has not commented on the appeal.