FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – “I beg y’all to please say no to this. We need to keep them away from our small rural counties. Our children need this.”
Robin Ridge Solar LLC proposed to build a solar farm on 439 acres of land on Providence Church Road and Ramsey Lane that could generate enough power to light 3,000 homes at the same time.
Many residents of Franklin County believe the possible damages the farm could have may outweigh the benefits.
“Multiple lawsuits across the country show solar farms violating clean water acts and causing erosion. A lot of wildlife habitat will be just completely gone,” one resident said.
“Projects like this don’t just change land, they change identity,” another said. “Covering open land with industrial panels risks erasing what’s left of our history and heritage.”
Others during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting spoke against the farm, while a representative with Robin Ridge Solar tired to address their concerns.
“Our project will adhere to and comply to all national environmental protection standards, and we will not impact any creeks, wetlands, floodplains, or critical slopes on site, preserving sensitive areas that serve as important wildlife habitat,” he said.
After the public hearing, it was up to the board to decided whether to approve the project.
They voted against it 5 to 1.
While this solar farm project was turned down, two other projects were already approved, with another two projects pending a review.
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