A resolution stating the Greensboro City Council’s opposition to an 800-acre solar farm has been added to the agenda for the Tuesday, June 15 meeting.
The City Council often expresses support for green initiatives such as renewable energy, but in this case Mayor Nancy Vaughan said the City Council didn’t see a solar farm as the “highest and best use of the land.”
The resolution has been added to the City Council agenda because the Guilford County Planning Board has a special meeting scheduled for Monday, June 21 to consider a special-use permit to allow the development of the proposed solar farm west of Mount Hope Church Road and south of McConnell Road.
Vaughan said that while this area is outside the city limits and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the City Council, the area did have city water and sewer available and was in the future growth plans for the city.
Vaughan said, “To be able to assemble 800 acres is huge and we’d like to see it put to a better use – either industrial or housing.”
Vaughan said that she had sent councilmembers information on the solar farm being considered by the Guilford County Planning Board but decided that a formal resolution would be better and it was added to agenda.
Vaughan said, “We all want alternative forms of energy but there have got to be better places.”
The location east of the Greensboro City limits is in a rapidly developing area not too far from where the new Publix distribution center is under construction.
Vaughan said that while the solar farm would produce energy, it wouldn’t produce many jobs or have much effect on the property tax base. She also noted that currently Greensboro had about a 10-day supply of housing and this was in an area that has seen a lot of residential development.
Vaughan said the purpose of the resolution was “to make sure that the county board is aware that we would be grateful to have this land inside the city limits at some point.”
This is some typical Democratic BS. All the Democrats have been saying since Biden came into office is GREEN,GREEN GREEN. Now that one form of government (Guilford County) wants to create one form of renewable energy, another form of government (City of Greensboro) doesn’t think that is good use of property. The mayor wants the land annexed into Greensboro so they can grow their tax base. Greensboro needs to stay out of County business. Where does the Mayor think would be a good place for a solar farm? This is the same BS that you see with the wind turbines. Of course we still don’t know who will really benefit from the solar farm. More than likely it will be the big investors. HOPEFULLY GUILFORD COUNTY WILL NOT LET GREENSBORO RUN THE COUNTY!
If you have no jurisdiction, then keep your mouth shut! Greensboro simply wants to eventually gobble the land up, raise the taxes and have control. Phooey!
Dear Nancy & other Communist Friends and Colleagues, please keep your opinions inside the City your insistent on ruining & leave the County to folks who live in the County.
Nancy,Nancy,Nancy…you are being a bad bad girl,standing in the way of green energy!We are going to need those KWs to power all those electric cars and trucks that are out there—–somewhere.
I think it my duty to inform the President of The United States about this.Forget that future gubernatorial endorsement,young lady!
Shouldn’t the land-owners decide how to develop the properties? We know how well our government would do anything.
My family has lived in this area for generations and we would prefer to have a solar farm as a neighbor rather than a neighborhood of poorly constructed houses on tiny lots such as the ones that have been constructed in the area recently.
This is all about money. Developers hand in hand with the city council and county board to generate tax revenue and profits for the developers. Never considering how this affects the long time residents .
Totally agree with this comment. Those neighborhoods they put up with the houses on top of each other are horrible. I would rather land be left as is and not have anything put on it, but a solar farm is far better than a new neighborhood. This city and it’s government make me sick. Unfortunately I live in the county and am unable to vote in City elections. I am hoping and praying all the people who are on here complaining and live within the City limits, will do so and vote out this sorry council.
Here’s a crazy idea. Let the city worry about whats in the city limits now and not worry about what might one day be in the city limits. The city has a hard enough time providing essential services to its populace in the existing city limits let alone worrying about whats happening in McLeansville, Whitsett and Stoney Creek