ESCANABA TOWNSHIP — A controversial solar farm project planned for Escanaba Township has been scaled back once again, but even with the changes, the Escanaba Township Board was hesitant to say they supported the development within the community.

“Going forward, we hope to be able to work with the planning commission and the township board to be able to develop the project in a way that is compatible with the aesthetics and the intentions of the planning commission and the board,” said Peter Moritzburke, of Orion Renewable Energy.

In 2019, the township board approved a stand-alone solar ordinance that would have allowed Orion Renewable Energy Group to build a large-scale solar farm in the township. However, it was later determined that the ordinance was insufficient for the development to move forward and the township would need instead to approve an amendment to the township’s zoning ordinance if the project were to proceed.

Early attempts to reconcile the zoning ordinance with the solar ordinance failed, and it was not uncommon for more than 150 people to crowd the Escanaba Township Hall in Flat Rock, expressing their feelings on the project. An ad hoc committee was formed to investigate many of residents’ concerns, yielding a 500-page report that was reviewed by the planning commission over a series of meetings.

Discussion of the ordinance and the committee’s findings was cooled by the pandemic and a series of internal crisises at the planning commission level. A few months ago, it was found the group’s bylaws were missing and there was no evidence the ordinance forming the board had been properly posted in a newspaper. An ordinance was drafted and posted, re-establishing the planning commission, but the commission fell apart after more members were appointed than could legally serve under the new ordinance, prompting the resignation of the group’s chair; two members were elected to the township board, forcing them off the commission; at least one other member resigned; and the start and end dates for at least one other member’s term were lost.

December’s planning commission meeting was canceled because there were too few members of the commission remaining to have a quorum. The board corrected that Tuesday by appointing a new seven-member commission, some of whom sat on the planning commission previously. There was no discussion as to the length of the appointments’ terms, which can be between one and three years. Replacement bylaws for the group are still being drafted.

Moritzburke explained during the meeting Tuesday that the proposed Chandler Solar Farm would be significantly smaller than had been initially planned. A preliminary site plan submitted by Orion to the Escanaba Township Board showed only a portion of the project, but Moritzburke said the plan was about 30 percent smaller than previous plans, bringing the total size of the solar farm to about 500 acres.

In addition, the new plan removes all solar panels from the core area of the township. Specifically, there would be no panels on land located between 20th Road and 21st Road and County Roads 416 and 426.

“These are areas that have been areas of concern for some township residents for various reasons (and) that have been addressed in the ad hoc committee report, but we feel that with this opportunity to shrink the project and reduce it further and eliminate panels from those areas of concern, we feel that we can mitigate all concerns completely,” said Moritzburke.

The new plan also increases setback areas beyond what was sought by the ad hoc committee report. Panels would be setback 250 feet from any parcels 15 acres or smaller, 250 feet from residences on larger parcels, and 250 feet from all public road center lines.

“Time is a consideration. There is a draft ordinance — I believe — on the township website that was drafted by the township attorney and the previous planning commission, but that has not been considered yet, but that ordinance was put together, as I understand it, in conformance with the results of the ad hoc committee report,” said Moritzburke.

Multiple board members said they were unfamiliar with the draft ordinance Moritzburke was referencing.

Despite the concessions from Orion, the board was hesitant to give their support to any solar farm being constructed within the township.

“I wish you would make it clear that the board is going to welcome a development like this in the township or not. A lot has been offered by Orion in what they attempted to do, and as I said earlier, it’s not a very welcoming environment at all, it’s actually very cold, and if the board is not saying something, that’s saying something,” said Bob Barron, who is one of the landowners Orion would lease property from for the project.

The sentiment was echoed by Delta County Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Ed LeGault.

“I do think it would be in good taste to give them some direction of where you think the township is. If the township has no interest in moving forward with the project, I think you should be upfront and let them know that,” he said.

Despite a large showing of people who opposed the project during in-person meetings late last year, no one spoke in public comment in opposition to the development during Tuesday’s virtual meeting.