HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230775.tiffINVENTORY OF ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION
Applicant Harring c/a CBEP Solar 6, LLC Case Number USR23-0005
Submitted or Prepared
Prior to At
Hearing Hearing
1
SPO
S.
Engle
Letter
dated
February 16,
2023 in opposition
X
2
Applicant's
Power Point
Presentation
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4
5
a
I hereby certify that the items identified herein were submitted to the Department of Planning Services at
or prior to the sgheduled Planning Commissioners hearing.
Kim OglThiolanner
Sheilah. Engle
2 Park Avenue
Eaton, Colorado 80615
February 16, 2023
TO: Members of the Weld County Planning Commission
Weld County Commissioners
RE Case #USR23-0005 — Solar Energy Project (Ken Harring property)
The following are comments and concerns for your consideration in review of USR23-0005 (Solar
Energy Project on the Ken Harring property).
I own the property immediately adjacent to the proposed Solar Energy Project and was contacted by
Cloudbreak Energy to sign a consent for them to have access to our field roads. I didn't take time for
serious thought because I didn't feel there was a choice and ultimately signed the document. I received
notice of a March hearing for the project and decided to let you know how I really feel after having had
time to think it through.
The location is not good for the following reasons:
• The project will be an eyesore and will affect property values.
• Size of equipment and frequency of travel will degrade field roads. They are intended for
agriculture only.
• It is a very populated area. Both Hawkstone and Eaton Commons subdivisions are within one-
half to one mile of the site. Residents will not welcome the extra activity noise and traffic this
project will cause.
• My daughter and son-in-law live in the farmyard immediately west of the location. I don't want
the country lifestyle they've enjoyed for 28 years to be destroyed.
• Area farmers depend heavily on the major irrigation ditch that runs through the site location. I'm
concerned all the construction activity will negatively impact ditch operations.
• I rent out one part of the property for raising corn and another to a sheep feeder. Both renters are
doing fine. They don't need the added stress and inconvenience this project will cause.
• The project needs to be moved farther east to a less populated area.
Please consider my opinion and concerns as well as those of my neighbors. Vote NO on Solar Energy
Project (USR23-0005).
EXHIBIT
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BASIC PROJECT INFORMATION
• Proposal: 4.625 MWac Community Solar Project
• Acreage: Approximately 28.74 acres
• Property Ownership: The property is currently owned by Kenneth Harring, but the area
where the solar project is located will be purchased by us prior to the commencement of
construction.
• Timeline: 4 -month construction period, anticipated to begin in Q2 2023
• Electricity Production: Will produce about 12,240,000 kWh annually, which is equivalent to
the annual electricity consumption of about 1,500 homes. According to the Census, there are
2,088 households in Eaton.
• Part of Xcel Energy's Solar*Rewards Community Program
Xcel Energy®
CLOUDBREAKTM
CBEP Solar 6, LLC g Harring Solar Project
CLOUOBREAFC
DIRECT COMMUNITY BENEFITS
As a local Colorado company, it is very important to us that this project provides significant
and direct benefits to the community. The Harring Solar Project will:
•
LOCAL IMPACT
• Utilize a local
construction team that
will generate significant
activity for local
businesses during the
construction of the
system.
• Use a local shepherd
for land maintenance.
• Improve local pollinator
habitat and diversity by
including a pollinator -
friendly seed mixture
on the property.
SCHOLARSHIPS
• Provide a full -ride
scholarship to a
student at a local
institution that is
interested in pursuing a
career in renewable
energy.
TAX INCOME
• Generate significant
property tax revenue
for the county. The
property tax generated
by the solar project is
estimated to be $1
million over the life of
the system.
• Generate additional
sales tax revenue
during the construction
of the system.
CHEAPER ELECTRICITY
• Save local Xcel Energy
customers about 5-10%
on their electricity bills
through Xcel's
Solar*Rewards
Community Program.
Our goal is to subscribe
as many local Xcel
customers as we can.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Timeline: Construction will last approximately 4 months and is anticipated to begin in
Q2 2023.
• Construction Hours: 7:00 am — 3:00 pm with some overtime, as needed, as late as
6:00 pm. M -F and Saturdays as needed.
• Workers: There will be about 25 workers on the property throughout the entire duration
of the construction process.
• Lighting: Temporary lighting may be used during construction if the team needs to
continue working after sunset. No permanent lighting will be used during operation of
the project.
• Construction Traffic: During construction, the traffic will include about 10-15 pickups
and 1-2 heavy vehicles per day. We will be upgrading the field roads to be able to
handle our equipment.
• Land Maintenance: We will be working with a local shepherd to graze sheep on the
property. The sheep are expected to be grazing on the property a few times per year to
maintain the vegetation at a height of 18-22 inches or less. The grazing will ensure that
the property remains agriculturally productive during the solar project's life. The
landowner has applied for a well permit and the water from that well will be used to
establish the pasture and trees. If the well permit is not secured, we can use a water
trailer to bring water to the property from another location.
PROJECT INFORMATION
•
•
•
•
Operations Traffic: Once the system is built, our solar maintenance team will only stop
by about 4 to 8 times per year for system maintenance. Our shepherd and land
maintenance team will stop by more frequently on an as -needed basis, but the project
will not generate consistent or significant traffic.
Drainage: Based on an in-depth study that was included in our application materials, the
existing storm water flow characteristics are expected to remain unchanged.
Emissions/Odors: The solar array will not produce any emissions or odors.
Glare: The panels are be treated with an anti -reflective coating and reflect as little as two
percent of incoming sunlight (less than water and windows).
Noise: During the day, it will have a minor humming noise like that of an air conditioner
that can be heard when standing near the system. The inverters, which are the noisiest
piece of equipment, will produce about 65 dB at 3 ft. away (just louder than a
dishwasher) and 29 dB at 500 ft. away (about as loud as leaves rustling).
Electromagnetic fields and interference: Solar projects produce extremely low
frequency EMF similar to electrical appliances and at just 150 feet from the inverters, the
levels are at or below background levels.
Property Values: Studies from Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory and UT Austin,
CohnReznik, LLP, Kirkland Appraisals, LLC, and the Chair of the American Society of
Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers have shown that solar projects do not adversely
impact neighboring property values.
PROJECT INFORMATION
• Lifespan: The system will be on the property for a minimum of 20 years based on
our contracts with Xcel.
• Decommissioning: We will decommission the project according to Weld County
guidelines. We will have decommissioning bonds in place with the County to ensure
that there will always be sufficient funding for decommissioning the project.
• Recycling: Solar panels can be recycled. They are typically made of about 76%
glass, 10% plastic, 8% aluminum, 5% silicon, and 1% other metals.
• Future Mineral Development: We are working with the mineral owners on the
property to sign surface waivers and ensure we don't interfere with any
development plans.
O Ditch Crossing and Setbacks: We initially reached out to Larimer & Weld
Irrigation Companies in July of 2022 to begin a negotiation for a crossing but
Larimer & Weld Irrigation Companies told us that we should wait until we get further
along with our permits before they were willing to discuss the project with us. We
understand that we need to come to an agreement with them regarding the
crossing and we will not start construction until an agreement has been reached
with the ditch company.
N
CLOUDBREAK'M
PROJECT INFORMATION
How did we choose this location?
• Proximity to high quality Xcel Energy distribution infrastructure that has the
capacity for a project of this size
• Proximity to Xcel Energy's Eaton substation as well as proximity to the proposed
new Eaton substation location
• Outside of floodplains and wetlands
• Relatively flat
• No geotechnical constraints
• Landowner participation and enthusiasm
• Economics of the land
• Avoids critical habitats with minimal to no impact on surrounding wildlife
• Limited disturbance to nearby properties and property owners
t5•
EX OVERHEAD _Nisi
ELECTRIC LINE
10' UTILITY
EASEMENT
RECEPTION NO.
335453, OPRWCC
EX 12" CMP CULVERT ji
(NEEDS REPAIR) I
60' ROW
(TOTAL)
30' COUNTY ROAD
ROW
BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS FOR
WELD COUNTY
GLENN AND GAYLE
CUNNINGHAM PARCEL NO.
070932200061
•
QI
m
u
STEPHEN C. AND
LINDA M. HART
RECEPTION NO.
02165919, OPRWCC
DEBORAH R. VELTRI
RECEPTION NO.
4093500, OPRWCC
RANDY AND TRACY PFEIFF
RECEPTION NO. 3852187,
OPRWCC LOT A,
EXE. 0709 - 32 - 02 RE 4163
18' ACCESS
EASEMENT
RECEPTION NO.
335453, OPRWCC
30' ACCESS
EASEMENT
I
PROPERTY LINE
HEIRS OF DON E. ENGEL
RECEPTION NO.
4225997, OPRWCC
25' NATURAL GAS
PIPELINE EASEMENT
RECEPTION NO.
3034905, OPRWCC
allfl• LD.
er
DIMAS AND JANINE
MEDEROS
RECEPTION NO.
3562102, OPRWCC
VARIABLE WIDTH WATER
LINE ROW '
NORTH WELD COUNTY
WATER DISTRICT
RECEPTION NO. 2926652
EX FIELD ROAD
?O
a. -
SOLAR LEASE
BOUNDARY
EX ABOVE GROUND
PVC IRRIG PIPE
EX 16- CMP
CULVERT
PROP GRASS
SWALE A
PROP 15' ACCESS ROAD
VARIABLE WIDTH WATER LINE ROW
NORTH WELD COUNTY WATER DISTRICT
RECEPTION NO. 2926652
KENNETH L. HARRING
RECEPTION NO, 4031664,
OPRWCC (R1)
LOT B, EXEMPTION NO.
0709 -32 -02 -RE -4163
(SURVEYED PARCEL)
70.20 ACRES +/-
36" CMP CULVERT
IN CONCRETE
NON SPECIFIC WIDTH
IRRIG DITCH ROW
RECEPTION NO. 47515
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Osi
mtet
EX FIELD ROAD
EX FIELD ROAD ---.
SOLAR LEASE
BOUNDARY
EX CONCRETE
IRRIGATION
STRUCTURE
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EX 24" CMP
CULVERTS
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NO VESTING DOCUMENT FOUND.
INFORMATION SHOWN WAS
OBTAINED FROM THE TAX
ASSESSOR'S WEBSITE FOR WELD
COUNTY, COLORADO
WARRANTY DEED TO TRACY
HARMS, RECORDED ON
07/09/2018 AT RECEPTION NO.
4413679, OPRWCC
WARRANTY DEED TO FRANCISCO
BOTELLO, JR., RECORDED ON
12/20/2017 AT RECEPTION NO.
- _
I
I
t
PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES
DEED TO PARKVIEW
APARTMENTS, LLC, RECORDED ON
EX ABOVE GROUND 4/20/2020 AT RECEPTION NO. I
4584076, OPRWCC
PVC IRRIG PIPE
EX CONCRETE
IRRIGATION STRUCTURE
EX 24" CMP
CULVERT
20' IRRIG PIPELINE j
EASEMENT
AY P4, •.!. r a. aan
EX24"CMP
CULVERT
EX 30" CMP
CULVERT
MILLER LAND &
LIVESTOCK OF NO
COLO LLC PARCEL
NO. 070932000046
SOLAR LEASE
t
w«
BOUNDARY
EX 42" WIDE
CONCRETE
IRRIGATION DITCH
z
0
1~ r EX FENCE
PROP GRASS
SWALE B
I
EX CONCRETE
IRRIGATION
STRUCTURE
CLOUDBREAK"
CONTACT INFORMATION
Zach Brammer
Co -Founder ; Chief Operating Officer
• Email: zach@cloudbreakenergy.com
• Office: (970) 425-3175
• Mailing Address: PO Box 1255, Sterling, CO 80751
• Website: cloudbreakenergy.com
If you have any additional questions, would like to subscribe to the Harring Solar Project,
would like any additional information about our plans, or would like a digital copy of this
presentation, please reach out to Zach Brammer at (970) 425-3175 or
zach@cloudbreakenergy.com
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