Partly cloudy skies. Low 22F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy skies. Low 22F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: February 26, 2026 @ 3:49 pm
CLARION – Plans for a 3-megawatt solar energy facility at a former lumberyard in Clarion County advanced last week. Developers shared project details with the Clarion County Planning Commission and answered questions about environmental impacts, setbacks and long-term decommissioning.
The proposed local solar farm, Witty Midnight Salamander, LLC and TLS Holdco, LLC, is located in Knox Township.
Green Key Solar and its project team, Lumberyard Solar, presented a preliminary land development plan at a county meeting on Feb. 18. The plan features a fixed-tilt solar array covering about 15 acres of a 36-acre property.
The project will use about 7,000 solar panels set in fixed rows facing south at a 20- to 25-degree angle. The panels will be 3 to 9.5 feet above the ground, allowing vegetation to be maintained with regular mowing equipment.
Developers said the layout avoids wetlands and limits grading by using existing gravel drives left from the site’s previous use as a mulch processing and lumber yard.
According to the project engineer, only a small amount of new gravel will be added to build an emergency vehicle turnaround that meets International Fire Code standards. One part of the access road will narrow to 11 feet to avoid wetlands, while the rest of the roads meet standard widths.
The two ponds on the property will not be disturbed. Project designers said the solar array was planned to avoid wetlands and steep slopes that would need grading.
Engineers said the project will improve stormwater conditions compared to the current site. Much of the compacted gravel will be replaced with vegetation, reducing runoff and helping water soak into the ground.
The project will use driven pile foundations, which are steel beams set about nine feet into the ground, instead of concrete footers. This approach will minimize soil disturbance. Erosion and sediment controls will include reinforced silt fencing, erosion control blankets, and a stabilized construction entrance.
The Clarion County Conservation District recently approved the project’s erosion and sediment control plan following a minor layout change.
The only remaining zoning change is the southern property setback. Developers said the site is limited by wetlands, ponds, steep slopes, and mature trees.
Project representatives said placing panels closer to the southern boundary, where there are no homes within about 1,250 feet, would reduce visual impacts for neighbors to the north. They also said this change would keep existing buildings and wooded areas as buffers.
According to the developer, the nearest panels will be about 55 feet from the southern property line, which exceeds the township’s minimum commercial setback requirement.
Planning commission members and attendees asked who would be responsible for removing the solar facility if the project were to stop operating in the future.
Developers explained that the lease agreement includes required decommissioning terms. Lumberyard Solar must remove all equipment and restore the site upon completion of the project. The company will also post a bond equal to 110 percent of the estimated removal cost, with the amount reviewed and updated over time.
Developers said the bond will make sure funds are available even if the project owner is no longer in business. They added that the value of salvaged panels and equipment should help cover removal costs.
If the project is approved as planned, developers expect construction to start in early 2027. Building the facility will take four to six months, depending on electrical and connection work.
The facility will connect to the grid on-site using an existing utility transmission corridor and is approved to generate 3 megawatts of alternating current power.
County officials said the plan is still under review and tabled the issue. Final decisions will be made once technical corrections are completed and the requested setback change is addressed, which is expected to happen at the March meeting.
Solar Field Planned for Knox Borough
Another solar project was proposed for Knox Borough. The Fort Knox, LLC (Modern Living Solutions) project would install about 636 solar panels on 1.4 acres at the former Knox glass plant site, near an existing factory, according to details shared last week.
The panels will be set up near an existing stormwater pond and surrounded by chain-link fencing. The solar array will have a small footprint, with posts driven into the ground, creating less than 5,000 square feet of new impervious surface.
The electricity from the panels will be sent to the factory through an underground utility line. The project is meant to power the Modern Living Solutions facility and has been reviewed alongside earlier approved stormwater management plans.
Project representatives said stormwater impacts will be minimal, and the contractor will provide an erosion and sediment control plan during construction. A decommissioning plan has been prepared for the owner and operator and is expected to be signed by the landowner. The estimated decommissioning cost approaches $1 million.
Officials said this project is much smaller than the proposed Knox Township proposal, covering only 1.4 acres compared to others that span dozens of acres. No zoning changes or variances are needed.
County Engineer Kevin Reichard called the proposal well-designed and said it seems to meet all requirements.
The project received unanimous preliminary approval.
[Additional items from the meeting can be found in our online article.]
Other Business
Beyond solar energy, the commission addressed several land development renewals.
• Redbank LLC — The project was originally approved in March 2021, and includes a 2,000-square-foot storage rental unit building and a 2,970-square-foot parking lot area.
Township officials said the approval included a five-year construction window that will expire in March. No construction has taken place since the original approval.
Reichard said the property has been sold and that the new owner wants to continue the same development plan under the Redbank LLC name. Township staff said the proposal is identical to the earlier approved plan, with no changes to the design, setbacks, or site layout.
Reichard said that all previous reviews and approvals remain valid. Letters from agencies, including Hawthorn Borough, show no objections to the project and no concerns about stormwater management.
With no questions from commission members, the board unanimously granted preliminary approval. The development can now move forward under the original conditions set nearly five years ago.
• Priority First Credit Union — Final approval was granted for a new 2,061-square-foot credit union building that replaces the previous structure on the same site.
The new building was built after the original credit union was demolished. The facility has two entrances.
Township officials said the building was finished according to the approved plans. A certificate of occupancy dated October 21, 2025, was submitted to confirm the project’s completion and compliance.
• Final Approval for Crematory Building — The commission also gave final approval to a project from Fredrick and Susan L. Goble for a 1,656-square-foot crematory building near the state police barracks at Trinity Point.
Township officials said a certificate of occupancy has been submitted, confirming the building was completed as planned.
With no questions from commission members, the board granted final approval.
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