Sunshine early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..
Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: June 14, 2026 @ 11:13 am
The Rockingham County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to create a solar farm near Timberville at a meeting Wednesday evening.
Summit Ridge Energy, a solar developer based in Arlington, requested a special use permit to build a solar farm on land zoned for agriculture near the Legion Hills neighborhood, about a quarter-mile from Plains Elementary School.
The board of supervisors voted 4-0 to deny the request. Board chair Leila Longcor was absent.
Several Timberville residents came to oppose the request. Many were residents of the Legion Hills neighborhood and said they were concerned that stormwater runoff or other pollution could negatively impact the area’s soil, which is prime for agricultural use.
David Mewellski, who lives in Legion Hills, said the work required to build the solar farm would be slowed by the area’s rocky terrain. He also said that if the board approved the project, it would run counter to the county’s stated goal of supporting local agriculture.
“They’re not going to be able to just pound poles in the ground,” Mewellski said. “The property they’re planning on putting it on is on nothing but rock. This is going to be, literally, in my backyard.”
Jim Johnson, of Timberville, said solar projects also tend to use large quantities of municipal water.
“I’ve also seen some of these projects; what they don’t say upfront is that they require substantial amounts of municipal water, because they have to keep the system cool to keep it running properly.” Johnson said.
Don Driver, who owns a farm about 150 feet away from the proposed solar site, was worried about how the project could affect property values in the area.
“You hear a lot of folks talking about how nice it is to see the cattle, the corn fields and so forth,” Driver said. “Those are all values that are important to us. I began wondering, a little down the road from that, how do those values then turn into dollars?”
Driver cited a Virginia Tech study showing that homes and other real estate near solar projects often lose more value than at other sites, which could result in less revenue for the county.
Ben Gillespie, director of project development for Summit Ridge, said there would be no significant impact on property values in the area.
“We have a third-party analysis, a comprehensive tool,” Gillespie said. “They concluded that the proximity to solar farms does not negatively change the property values of properties close to the project.”
The request came before the board shortly after the opening of a controversial battery facility near Craney Island Road.
Vice Chair Matt Dale was critical of Summit Ridge, asking the applicant’s representatives whether they planned to use new state regulations to convert the solar site into a battery facility.
After the meeting, Dale also questioned the motives of Dewey Ritchie, supervisor for District One, which includes Timberville and the site for the proposed solar farm.
Dale said Ritchie had been a strong supporter of agriculture in the past, but now was attending openings for solar and battery facilities.
“I was happy that Mr. Ritchie decided to motion to deny this,” Dale said. “However, I didn’t think that was going to happen, because he has voted in favor of all 466 acres worth of large solar facilities in the county. This morning, he spoke at the ribbon-cutting for the largest battery storage facility on the east coast, which is 24 acres worth of batteries.”
Dale criticized Ritchie for supporting utility-scale energy storage and solar power projects while not supporting additional funding for Rockingham County Fire and Rescue, which he said could struggle to contain a fire at a facility like the one on Craney Island Road.
“Our firefighters have neither the tools, training, nor resources to contain such an emergency on a parcel that size,” Dale said. “Mr. Ritchie is highly against using additional resources to fund anything, as evidenced by his disposition during our budgeting process and tax rate hearing. My question is: why are you in favor of large-scale utility solar and large battery installations while allegedly being in favor of our farming communities and public safety? That doesn’t add up.”
Ritchie could not be reached for comment.
Contact Richard H. Hronik III at rhronik@dnronline.com, 540-208-3278, or on Twitter @rhronikDNR
An unscientific take on an issue in the news.
A YouTuber and his wife recently ended a pregnancy after a Down syndrome diagnosis, kicking off intense ethical debates on social media. Does terminating a Down syndrome fetus constitute eugenics?
Find the best the Valley has to offer, as voted in the Best of the Valley, with Valley Hometown Guru.
For Sale: Matching couch & love seat, $250. 540-246-4325 after 5pm.
2016 Toyotal P/U 4×4, V6, automatic, off-road pkg, 111K miles, extra cab, rear access doors, $18,000 or $17,000 cash.…
Church Street, Timberville Older Victorian home for the fixer-upper loaded with charm! Sitting on 1.457 acres with pu…
Lot E, Church Street, Timberville 0.906 acre building lot zoned for duplex lots. Lots of possibilities for this prope…
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
