speak up to keep madison county beautiful
We are opposing the change of zoning and the issuance of a special use permit for a solar power plant in Madison County, Virginia, situated on the prime agricultural land behind Yoders on Highway 29.
A change of zoning that will impact our treasured agricultural landscape and our economic development for decades.
Our Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission are considering re-zoning the 90+ acre parcel of land behind Yoders. This land would go from being actively farmed in the Agricultural or Business zoning to Industrial zoning. The re-zoning aims to accommodate a solar plant – fields full of thousands of solar panels. This re-zoning:
- Create zero jobs for residents in our county
- Will open the door for farmland to be converted into an eyesore visible to you, your neighbors, and visitors of Madison.
- Will bend multiple rules to accommodate one out-of-town property owner to the detriment of the property rights of those here in Madison.
Against the Comprehensive Plan
Find out why this project directly conflicts with several key components of the Madison comprehensive plan, which outlines the vision for growth and preservation in our County.
Piedmont Enviro Says Vote NO
Find out why the Piedmont Environmental Council has written to the Board of Supervisors asking that a solar facility not be placed on this prime-agricultural acreage in Madison County.
Louth Callan & Solar Energy
Learn more about the company requesting the solar facility, the manufacturer providing the panels, and how states are now challenged to find ways to clean up their "clean" energy initiatives.
ways you can take action
Take a moment to sign & share the petition to stop the rezoning!
Show Up
- TBD
Reach out
Email the Board of Supervisors and urge them to VOTE NO to the rezoning and special use permit!
Board of Supervisor Member: | Email Address |
R. Clay Jackson, Chairman | cjackson@madisonco.virginia.gov |
Charlotte Hoffman | choffman@madisonco.virginia.gov |
Carty Yowell, Vice-Chairman | cyowell@madisonco.virginia.gov |
James Jewett | jjewett@madisonco.virginia.gov |
Dustin Dawson | ddawson@madisonco.virginia.gov |
"As residents of Madison County, we value and wish to preserve the County’s scenic beauty, rural environment, farms and forests, friendly atmosphere, balanced economy, and good schools."
-Madison County Comprehensive Plan
Not According to Plan
Our Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, and key members of the public worked in 2018 to create a playbook for intentional development for Madison. The proposed solar facility and rezoning directly conflict with multiple segments of the comprehensive plan:
This plan included the vision statement to the left that specifically calls for putting the county's rural beauty at the forefront of Madison's goals and strategic planning.
The Land Use Plan calls out this particular section of Madison County's Highway 29 corridor as an area for residential and business growth, not industrial development. "The connection of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Forestry topics to The Corridor has more to do with what the County should avoid than what it should pursue. Protecting open space and working agricultural lands are key goals..."
Louth callan & solar's dirty secret
VA is seeing how 'dirty' solar projects are for agriculture & stormwater.
After the VA Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) had to step in last year in Louisa with Dominion’s major solar project wreaking havoc on neighboring farmlands and the media coverage that took place highlighted the damage, the state began tightening the belt on solar right at the start of the year.
House Bill 26, which had bi-partisan support in the House and Senate, was passed earlier this year to prevent the adverse impact on natural resources in the state from small-scale solar projects. While this bill doesn’t go into effect until 2025, it indicates the change in tide away from blindly favoring solar energy without regard to the disturbance of wildlife, agricultural soils, forelands, and waterways. Feeling the sense of urgency in the issue, the Governor and the VA DEQ changed how solar panels are viewed in March of this year, stating that panels were to be considered impervious surfaces that needed to be regulated and reviewed for their impact on runoff.
Watch: Louisa farmland devastated
"Dirty' Business Practices & A High Price
Piedmont Enviromental Council urges BOS to say NO
At the September 2021 meeting, a representative from Piedmont Environmental Council urged the Board of Supervisors to say NO to the solar special use permit for this site and the rezoning of this land to industrial.
"The county is considering a rezoning request for a 92-acre parcel adjacent to Yoder’s Market to allow for the construction of a utility-scale solar facility. PEC’s concerns about this proposal include impacts to prime agricultural soils, changes sought by the developer to the county’s solar ordinance, and the potential precedent that would be set, opening the door for potential future conversion of agricultural zoning to industrial."