Cutline
A solar farm on property owned by James Sanford in Big Lake Township, just south of Highway 10.
Cutline
A solar farm on property owned by James Sanford in Big Lake Township, just south of Highway 10.
Solar farm expansions could be coming to Big Lake Township after the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the county’s ban on solar farms in a narrow portion of the township.
The amendment allows three existing solar farms in the township to expand and permits neighboring properties that share a boundary with those sites to request approval for new solar farms.
The change does not amend the county’s comprehensive plan, meaning any future solar farm requests or expansions will still require approval from the Sherburne County Planning Commission. The commission could deny requests for a variety of reasons, including potential impacts on neighboring properties.
The amendment applies only to land that touches the original three solar farms and does not affect the remainder of Big Lake Township.
The issue proved contentious for the Big Lake Township Board, which voted 3-2 to support the amendment and took the unusual step of submitting individual written positions from each board member to the county.
Board Chair Bruce Aubol supported the amendment, along with Dean Brenteson and Larry Alfords. Vice Chair Mark Hedstrom opposed the change, citing concerns that it does not align with the township’s comprehensive plan. Laura Hayes also opposed the amendment, saying she wanted a more deliberate approach to planning future solar development, including keeping projects clustered more closely together.
The Sherburne County Planning Commission voted to approve the amendment before it went to the County Board.
County commissioners acknowledged concerns during their discussion Tuesday but ultimately approved the amendment unanimously. Commissioners said they did not believe they had the right to limit a property owner’s use of land, noting the original justification for the ban is no longer applicable and that development in the area is uncertain over the next 15 years.
Commissioner Gregg said he was concerned the amendment could lead to a proliferation of solar farms that might negatively affect future township development. He said he voted in favor of the amendment reluctantly.
James Sanford, who requested the ordinance amendment, was among the first residents approved by Sherburne County for a solar farm in 2016.
Sanford’s property, located west of the city of Big Lake and south of U.S. Highway 10, was approved for a 20-megawatt system on land considered unproductive for farming. However, a county ban enacted in 2019 prevented the project from being fully completed. County staff estimate approximately 5 megawatts of the system were installed before the ban took effect.
In 2018, the cities of Becker and Big Lake joined Sherburne County in identifying potential locations for multimodal and industrial rail parks along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line. The Sherburne County Rail Study identified Big Lake as well positioned for potential rail development.
In 2019, Sherburne County implemented a solar farm ban on properties along that corridor in Big Lake Township, as well as portions of Baldwin and Livonia townships. The Baldwin Township ban has since been repealed.
The ban was intended to give the county time to study potential river crossings for the rail line, which could have been hindered by solar development in the corridor.
The Highway 25 Area Planning and Environment Linkages study, completed in June 2025 under a joint powers agreement between Sherburne and Wright counties, determined a river crossing could occur elsewhere and that no future development is currently planned for the corridor.
Sanford requested an amendment exempting land parcels with solar farms constructed before Oct. 1, 2025, as well as parcels sharing a boundary with the three existing solar farms. The amendment does not exempt parcels that do not border those sites.
In his request, Sanford cited the PEL study’s findings, arguing the original justification for the ban was no longer valid.
With county approval, Sanford could move forward with completing the full 20-megawatt solar system originally approved in 2016.
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