Morning Journal/ Mary Ann Greier Columbiana County commissioners hear testimony regarding a proposed ban on the building of large solar and wind farms in unincorporated areas of Fairfield, Franklin, Perry and West townships Wednesday. No decision was made.

LISBON — Columbiana County commissioners made no decision, but heard arguments Wednesday both for and against a ban on building large solar facilities and large wind farms in unincorporated areas of Fairfield, Franklin, Perry and West townships.

Commission Chairman Roy Paparodis announced a deadline of 4 p.m. Feb. 24 to submit written comments to the commissioners at 105 S. Market St., Lisbon, Ohio 44432, regarding the proposed ban for those four townships.

The four townships all sent resolutions asking the board to adopt a resolution prohibiting the construction of the wind and solar generation facilities in their unincorporated areas, which they can do according to Ohio Revised Code 303.58.

The law, however, came after the Kensington Solar project had already filed its paperwork with the Ohio Power Siting Board, so no matter what decision commissioners make, that project won’t be affected.

That didn’t stop Franklin Township residents from making their feelings known during the public hearing, in some cases pitting neighbor against neighbor.

Jed Coldwell, Hull Road, Salineville, said he owns SCE Land, LLC which has an options contract with Kensington Solar for 17 acres of property in Franklin Township.

“I am against any ban that takes away any private property rights,” Coldwell said, noting Franklin Township does not have zoning.

In his written letter to commissioners, which he read from during the hearing, he said “some of my neighbors have cited an extensive list of concerns about a solar facility, but have not demonstrated how my decision to use a portion of my property for the production of solar energy encroaches upon their property rights.”

Speakers were limited to 3 minutes, but Coldwell kept talking even after Paparodis told him his time was up and exchanged words with one gentleman who said “you’re not my neighbor.”

Diane Brown said she farms 500 acres in Franklin Township with her daughter and her family and is a third-generation farmer who has been very vocal against the Kensington Solar project as a member of Franklin Against Kensington Solar (FAKS).

According to Brown, solar companies started approaching Franklin Township landowners at the end of 2019 with proposals to lease their land for solar panels, with all but four landowners saying no. She said three of the four don’t live here and the fourth one won’t have panels beside their house.

She talked about the Kensington Solar project being grandfathered, but said “we are here because we plan on shutting this project down.” She said they don’t want any new solar companies coming here with “more bad ideas.”

Brown said the project doesn’t make sense for the township considering the sunlight here is equivalent to southern Alaska. The project for Kensington Solar will take up 2,264 acres. Out of 780 people in the township, she said over 400 are opposed to the solar project.

Duane Prusia, Five Forks Road, who said he’s against the ban, touted the tax income the county can gain from solar facilities, in particular Kensington Solar, saying the facility would be the biggest taxpayer in Southern Local school district and would generate $40 million in tax revenue. Commissioner Tim Weigle said after the hearing that the $40 million quoted would be over time.

Prusia said solar is safe and it’s efficient and the Kensington Solar plant could power 100,000 homes. Commissioner Mike Halleck questioned how much of the electricity generated by the plant would be used in this county. Prusia said if it’s produced in Ohio, it will be used in Ohio.

Several other residents from Franklin Township spoke in favor of the ban and against solar and wind farms. Robert Powell, who lives on Fink Road, said the solar farm is “going to drastically affect everybody’s property values.” He also said the panels do leak which could damage the ground. According to Weigel, over time, panels can crack and lithium can leak out.

“The village would be surrounded nearly 100 percent by solar panels. Summitville will become a ghost town,” Henry Bergfeld of Summitville said.

He suggested putting solar panels on roof tops of buildings in larger cities, speaking of the need to preserve farm land for the future.

Dr. Peg Speirs, Fink Road, Kensington, also spoke about the legacy of the land and Genie Gromley, Emerick Road, Kensington, said the environment will be destroyed. Both talked about the wildlife living on the land.

Fairfield Township Trustee Bob Hum spoke in favor of the ban in Fairfield Township. He said the township recently passed legislation related to wind and solar, noting they wanted to strike a balance between residents who wanted to put a solar panel on their house, giving them the ability to request permission as a conditional use through the zoning.

“What we don’t want to see is 50 acres of panels,” he said, explaining that type of installation is prohibited.

“We want to remain a farming community,” he said.

Halleck asked if it was fair to say Fairfield is against solar farms as a township . Hum said yes, but added there are farmers who have wind turbines to power the lights in their barns or other buildings, not wind farms.

Housing developer Chuck Beiling, Metz Road, Columbiana also spoke against solar farms and wind farms in Fairfield Township. He said residents have spent a lot of money for nice houses and don’t want to look out at that. He claimed this was a political thing “being jammed down our throats by a certain party.”

For West Township, Charles Crissman of Lippincott Road said he’s not for or against the ban, but wanted to know the difference between a large or small solar farm.

“I feel 25 acres would be all right,” he said.

Crissman said the township does not have zoning and he couldn’t understand how someone could decide what he could or couldn’t do with his own property. He said there has to be some sort of medium or a way to accommodate a smaller solar farm.

Halleck said the commissioners can only follow the law.

West Township Trustee Dale Lowmiller spoke in favor of the ban, saying all these big companies are “taking up farm ground that we need to produce food for the country.”

Lisbon resident Stevie Halverstadt, speaking as a resident of the county, said she’s seen solar panels while traveling and cows grazing around them and crops growing. She questioned if all these townships have gas and oil wells. She also said she has checked and learned that property values actually stay about the same with solar panels, not go down as some have said.

David Johnson, a Salem resident and CEO of Summitville Tile in Summitville, which was founded by his grandfather, said he’s opposed to having wind or solar farms all over the county.

Trustees from seven additional townships have filed resolutions asking the commissioners to ban large solar or large wind farms in their unincorporated areas, including Unity, Butler, Middleton, Washington, Center, Salem and Wayne townships.

Weigle said the board needs to accept those resolutions, then set a date for a public hearing and advertise for 30 days and distribute copies of those resolutions to the local libraries serving those townships and the school districts to make them aware. He estimated it could be at least five weeks or more before the next public hearing.

No decision will be made on the first four until after the deadline for written comment.

mgreier@mojonews.com