NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE OR ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO ADDRESS THE PERMITTING OF UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS IN UNINCORPORATED WOODBURY COUNTY

NOTICE OF WOODBURY COUNTY ZONING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE OR ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO ADDRESS THE PERMITTING OF UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS IN UNINCORPORATED WOODBURY COUNTY

The Woodbury County Zoning Commission will have a meeting and will hold a public hearing on the following item hereafter described in detail on March 25, 2024 at 5:00 PM or as soon thereafter as the matter may be considered.

Said public hearing will be held in the Board of Supervisors’ meeting room in the basement of the Woodbury County Courthouse, 620 Douglas Street, Sioux City, Iowa.  Copies of said item may now be examined at the office of the Woodbury County Community and Economic Development, on the 6th Floor of said courthouse by any interested persons. All persons who wish to be heard in respect to this matter should appear at the aforesaid public hearing in person or call: 712-454-1133 and enter the Conference ID: 638 086 537# during the meeting to listen or comment.  However, it is recommended to attend in person as there is the possibility for technical difficulties with phone and computer systems.  You may forward your written comments by mail or email to: Woodbury County Community and Economic Development, 6th Floor, Woodbury County Courthouse, 620 Douglas St., Sioux City, IA 51101; Emails should be sent to Daniel Priestley at: dpriestley@woodburycountyiowa.gov.  Only signed comments will be considered and should be received no later than 10:00 AM on Mon., Mar. 25, 2024.

Item One (1)

ZONING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT(S). 

SUMMARY: Amendment #1 - To add “Section 5.08. Utility-Scale Solar Energy Systems (US-SES) Conditional Use” category on Page iii of the Woodbury County Zoning Ordinance in the “Table of Contents” under “ARTICLE 5 SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS” 

SUMMARY: Amendment #2 - To add a new section to the Woodbury County Zoning Ordinance beginning on page 82 entitled “Section 5.08: Utility-Scale Solar Energy Systems (US-SES) Conditional Use” to facilitate the conditional use permitting of “Utility-Scale Solar Energy Systems” within the General Industrial Zoning District.  The purpose of this Section is to facilitate the construction, installation, and operation of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Systems (US-SES) in Woodbury County, in a manner that promotes economic development, protects property values, and ensures the protection of health, safety, and welfare while also avoiding ad-verse impacts to important areas such as agricultural lands, conservation lands, and other sensitive lands.  This Ordinance and its provisions shall not apply to those properties or projects occurring within the incorporated cities of Woodbury County.  The ordinance sets the requirements for the conditional permitting of the US-SES including subsections that include applicability, conditional use permit, application materials, requirements, permitting process, US-SES building permit requirement, road use and repair agreement, public drainage system protection agreement, operation and maintenance plan, decommissioning, abandonment, escrow account, and site restoration plan, soil erosion and sediment control plan, emergency response plan, future operators, severability, penalty, and effective date. 

SUMMARY: Amendment #3 – Following the addition of Section 5.08, to appropriately renumber the subsequent page numbers for ARTICLE 5. DEFINITIONS and Section 6.01 and Section 6.02 and to appropriately change the page number references in the Table of Contents on page iii.