CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved a new zoning ordinance that allows commercial solar farms on land that has remained fallow for five years. Under the ordinance, if a property owner has 21 acres of unused land, they may develop a solar farm by-right, meaning they can proceed without direct Board approval. “This is an ordinance that would allow… if it has been fallow for about five years, then you, by-right, can put in solar,” said Rivanna District Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley.
Public input played a role in shaping the ordinance, with residents voicing both support and concern. “I received a number of emails on both sides… worrying about what happens after 10 years and you have to take it down,” LaPisto-Kirtley said, explaining that the Board addressed this by requiring upfront bonds to cover decommissioning costs. The original proposal required the land to be fallow for 10 years but was revised to five…