York County Board adopts zoning rules that make it harder to build large solar farms

YORK, Neb. (KLKN) – Dozens of people attended the York County Board meeting Tuesday to hear a decision that will affect plans for a 3,000-acre solar farm.

After almost four years of discussion, the board settled on zoning rules for solar energy production.

“We voted, and it was 3-2 in favor of taking the zoning board’s recommendations,” Commissioner LeRoy Ott said.

The regulations require the solar panels to be half a mile away from non-participating properties.

Ott told Channel 8 this will support and protect the farmers around the county.

“I believe what we voted for was to follow the comp (comprehensive) plan for the county, and the comp plan for the county is agriculture,” he said.

The new regulations will make it harder to build projects like a 3,000-acres solar farm near McCool Junction, called the K-Junction Solar Project.

Many people at the meeting agreed with the setbacks, including Dana Jackson, who said this saves a lot of neighborhoods.

“I have been against the solar project the whole time because I live in Hayes Township,” she said. “It’s an agriculture area. Several feedlots, lots of families and young kids going to school in McCool. I just feel there’s too many people living there to be surrounded by solar panels. Agriculture is our No. 1 provider; that’s our livelihood. I’m so grateful they agreed to the stronger setbacks.”

Channel 8 reached out to OPPD, which is in charge of the K-Junction project, but did not receive a response.