Staff recommends approval of SUP18-0003 with the attached conditions. Staff strongly believes that the conditions are necessary for the project to meet the 8 Special Use Standards of Review and be consistent Comprehensive Plan in an on-balance review. Staff does have reservations about the size/scale of the facility and cautions that some conditions intended to mitigate impacts may change the project scope. For example, the applicant has requested 800 acres of land disturbance, which is double the conditioned 400 acres. Limiting the disturbed area may have the consequence of prolonging the construction timeframe. The majority of health, safety, and welfare concerns with the project and the greatest potential for negative impacts on the community are during the construction phase. Once established, the solar energy facility should be a safe, clean, and quiet neighbor. |