By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors held its monthly meeting at the County Administration Offices in Daleville last Tuesday.
During the public hearings, the board approved text amendments regarding electric vehicle charging stations and solar energy facilities.
Senior Planner Drew Pearson made a presentation to the board about electric charging stations, the types of stations, and where they are commonly located in other localities. In a document provided at the May 8 Planning Commission meeting, Pearson explained that Botetourt County received multiple inquiries from developers requesting to incorporate electric vehicle charging stations into their development plans and/or to establish charging stations as principal uses.
He mentioned three types of charging stations: convenience store charging station, electric vehicle charging station (private), and electric vehicle charging station (public).
The current zoning ordinance as of last Tuesday didn’t address electric charging stations specifically. Those stations had only been approved as a principal use in association with a convenience store that allows fuel sales. As an accessory use, charging stations were previously approved when associated with a use that could contain electric vehicles, but those stations were not offered for public retail usage.
Pearson added that Tesla is looking to have a charging station in the Botetourt area. He mentioned locations interested in potentially housing a charging station – the Daleville Food Lion, the new Hampton Inn coming to the Daleville Town Center, as well as other business locations.
In terms of the text amendments about solar energy facilities, this adds small-scale, minor-scale roof, minor-scale ground, and utility-scale solar energy facilities as permitted land uses, along with associated definitions, regulations, and permitting requirements.
The goal of the proposed text amendments for local solar energy facilities is to create an ordinance that allows for the permitting and regulation of solar energy facilities while maintaining the rural nature of the county. Solar energy facilities are not listed as a permitted or special exception use in the current version of the zoning ordinance, according to the agenda document.
The proposed amendments seek to add clarity by amending the district regulations, supplemental regulations and definitions to add specific language related to solar energy facilities. County staff made one change to the draft ordinance since the Planning Commission meeting on May 8.
Language found in section (h), application requirements, that required a copy of the cultural resources review conducted in conjunction with the state Department of Historic Resources for the Department of Environmental Quality permit by rule process has been removed. Removing this language provides greater clarity for the applicant and avoids any overlap with language already found in the same section.
According to the county, the solar text amendments would not impact the continued operation or maintenance of existing solar facilities located at homes, businesses, or other uses, which is covered in the following language included in the amendments: “Applicability – this section shall apply to all solar energy facilities constructed after the effective date of this section, including any physical modifications to any existing solar energy facilities that materially alter the type, configuration, generation capacity, or physical size.”
To read about all agenda items covered in last week’s meeting, visit the Botetourt County Agenda Center at https://www.botetourtva.gov/AgendaCenter.
