Ethan Ellis, Community Journalist
Published: August 28, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Ethan Ellis, Community Journalist
FRANKLIN CO., Va. – A Franklin County Circuit Court judge has approved the controversial Constitution Solar Project in Franklin County’s Henry community, allowing the more than 35-acre solar development to move forward despite opposition from a majority of the county’s Board of Supervisors.
The board voted against the project in December, with five supervisors opposing it and Union Hall District Supervisor Dan Quinn casting the lone vote in favor.
Blue Ridge District Supervisor Tim Tatum, who represents the area where the project would be located, said his primary concern is what will happen to the property when the solar project reaches the end of its useful life.
“What happens 20 years from now, or 25 years from now, or whenever that company goes under? Who’s going to clean the mess up?” Tatum said.
Tatum said the board’s decision was intended, in part, to send a message about those concerns.
“We voted it down more or less to make a statement,” Tatum said. “I know they put up a bond to cover cleanup, but is it set to progress with inflation? What they put aside now might not be enough to cover it 20 years from now.”
Quinn said the board’s decision came down to whether the project complied with Franklin County’s comprehensive plan.
“Our one narrow decision point was: Did this project conform with the comprehensive plan?” Quinn said.
Quinn said it did.
“And none of the other supervisors had any rationale for citing a reason that it did not conform with the comprehensive plan,” he said.
Because the project was going in an unzoned area of the county, the only other hurdle it faced was that comprehensive plan Quinn mentioned. The plan sets aside 1,500 acres of county land for solar use, meaning there was no legal reason county leaders could say no.
Copyright 2026 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
Ethan Ellis officially joined the WSLS 10 News team in May 2025.
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