County-Administration

February 26, 2024 – Zoning Ordinance Amendment – Large Scale Solar Energy Systems


Pursuant to the provisions of Section 15.2-2204 & 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of a public hearing to be held on February 26, 2024 at 7:15 p.m. in the County Government Center, 755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, Virginia, in order to hear citizen comments regarding the Board of Supervisors’ intention to act on the following request:

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 10 Entitled Zoning of the Code of the County of Montgomery, Virginia Relating To Solar Energy System Uses in the County By Amending Section 10-61 Definitions By Deleting Solar Energy System Major And Solar Energy System Minor As Defined Uses and Creating New Defined Uses Solar Energy System Community Scale Which Has The Capacity To Provide Five Or Less Mega Watts, Solar Energy System Utility Scale Capacity To Provide More Than Five Mega Watts and A New Defined Use Battery Energy Storage System Which Temporarily Stores Energy Before Going To The Distribution Network;

And By Adding Solar Energy System Community Scale As A Use Permissible By Special Use Permit In Sections 10-21(4) A-1 Agricultural District, 10-23 (4) R-R Rural Residential District, 10-28 (4) GB General Business District, 10-30 (4) M-1 Manufacturing District, 10-31 (4) M-L Manufacturing Light District, 10-33 (4)  PIN Planned Industrial District, 10-34 (4)  PUD-Com Planned Unit Development Commercial District, And 10-35 (4) Pud-Res Planned Unit Development Residential District;

And By Adding Solar Energy System Utility Scale As A Use Permissible By Special Use Permit In Sections 10-21 (4) A-1 Agricultural District, 10-30 (4) M-1 Manufacturing District, 10-31 (4) M-L Manufacturing-Light District, And 10-33 (4) PIN Planned Industrial District;

And By Adding Supplemental Regulations For Solar Energy System, Community and Utility Scale in Section 10-48 (10) Additional Regulations for Special Uses;

And By Deleting The No Longer Defined Use Solar Energy System, Minor As A Use Permissible By Right In Sections 10-21(3) A-1 Agricultural District, 10-30 (3) M-1 Manufacturing District, 10-31 (3) M-L Manufacturing-Light District, 10-33 (3) PIN Planned Industrial District, 10-34 (3) Pud-Com.

Planned Unit Development-Commercial District, and 10-35 (3) PUD-Res Planned Unit Development-Residential District;

And By Deleting the No Longer Defined Use Solar Energy System, Major As A Use Permissible By Special Use Permit In Sections 10-21 (4) A-1 Agricultural District, 10-30 (4) M-1 Manufacturing District, 10-31 (4) M-L Manufacturing-Light District, 10-33 (4) PIN Planned Industrial District, 10-34 (4) PUD-Com Planned Unit Development-Commercial District, and 10-35 (4) PUD-Res Planned Unit Development Residential District.

Copies of the proposed ordinance amendments may be examined at the Department of Planning and GIS Services, County Government Center, 755 Roanoke St., Suite 2A, Christiansburg, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or at http://www.montgomerycountyva.gov/pendingapplications.