Planning commission backs land-use change and 35-year interim permit for 4.5 MW solar farm

The Sherburne County Planning Advisory Commission recommended a comprehensive-plan land-use map amendment and approved an interim use permit allowing Nokomis Energy to install a 4.5‑megawatt solar farm on 29 of 40 acres owned by Eilers Garden LLC.

Staff said the parcel is zoned agricultural, is not classified as prime farmland, and contains four wetlands. A wetland delineation was documented and a county “no loss” finding — accepted by the county’s technical evaluation panel — showed no proposed impacts to delineated wetlands. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources natural heritage review found Blanding’s turtles in the vicinity and recommended avoidance measures; staff and the applicant committed to follow recommended avoidance procedures.

Nokomis Energy representative Michael Braun told the commission the project will use a single‑axis tracker system with a maximum panel height of 10 feet, 5‑ to 7‑foot posts, four utility poles sited outside a 33‑foot right of way, and a planned double row of eastern red cedar screening and existing eastern tree lines to reduce visual impacts. The company anticipates 35 years of useful life for the site, proposes an operation‑and‑maintenance contractor and estimates three to six maintenance visits per year. Staff said a decommissioning plan and a financial guarantee have been provided; previous county practice has set decommissioning guarantees at about $100,000 per megawatt, though the county board will set a final amount.

The commission opened and closed the public hearing with no public testimony recorded at the meeting, made findings of fact including that the project will not injure neighboring property values, and approved the interim use permit by voice vote. Commissioners cited township support and the presence of existing solar projects nearby when explaining their recommendation for the map amendment.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation and the interim use permit approval will be forwarded to the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners for final action and for setting any decommissioning guarantee amount.