NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of County Commissioners at their meeting on Wednesday, gave direction via a 3-2 vote to ban large scale commercial solar projects within the zoned portion of the county.
Commissioners Hirst, Parks and Bogner voted in favor of the ban, Commissioners Whitesel and Friesen voted against the ban, but it seemed that their no votes may have been more about the process than major support for solar itself.
The ban still needs to go back through the planning commission to get the ban put into the regulations themselves.
For the un-zoned area, meetings are being planned to receive input from residents on what they want or don't want there.
In the zoned area, the commission has adopted regulations on small scale commercial projects, and the planning commission is close to making its recommendation on private solar regulations.
With this direction, the county can eventually close out the solar regulations in the zoned portion of Reno County and once that is complete turn the focus to the rest of the county.
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