- For a second day in a row, Fayette Township officials and neighbors met to discuss the proposed expansion of Ranger Power's "Heartwood" solar project.
- Monday, the Township Board chose a law firm to help it draft a "Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance".
- Tuesday, Ranger Power presented its plans to the Township Planning Commission and answered questions from a skeptical crowd of about 70 neighbors.
- The meeting turned testy as some complained about a lack of information about the project and approval procedure.
For a second day in a row, Fayette Township officials and neighbors met to discuss the proposed expansion of Ranger Power's "Heartwood" solar project.
"We've been doing a lot to try and inform folks about the project and that are adjacent to the project," Ranger Power Development Manager Brady Friss told a skeptical crowd of about 70 neighbors.
Steve Oleszkowicz, who's been leading opposition to the solar expansion, was not impressed. "I'd like you to move out of the neighborhood," he said.
As in previous meetings, public comment at Tuesday's Fayette Township Planning Commission meeting saw neighbors opposing more solar in their neighborhood during public comment.
Tempers flared as Ranger Power — the company behind the "Heartwood" solar — was about to take the stage…
WATCH THE VIDEO:
…as others objected that Ranger Power was allowed to speak without a time limit.
Ranger Power representatives, for their part, delved into the details of the project, how it was planned, and attempts they made to inform neighbors.
I asked Friss how he felt about the atmosphere. He said he and his colleagues are "happy to provide information, happy to be able to answer questions that residents have and be able to share all the benefits that this projects provide."
Questions continued late into the evening with the Planning Commission emphasizing that the presentation was just the first of many steps in the approval process.
Monday, it was the Fayette Township Board meeting at Jonesville High School — a crowd not as large as previous turnout. Still, more than 50 neighbors came to that meeting.
"Renewable energy projects, land use authority, state preemption, and local zoning powers are not theoretical questions. They will determine what our township looks like for decades," noted one during public comment.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
Several neighbors repeated their objections to more solar in Fayette Township.
Not everyone was opposed.
"This will border some land that we own and farm right next to it. I'd rather look at solar panels than more, other building construction," says farmer Andy Welden. He says he believes more solar will keep the Township small and rural.
In a letter to the Township Supervisor, Ranger Power has indicated it will wait no more than 30 days for the Township to pass what's called a "Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance", or "CREO". Without such an ordinance, Michigan's Public Act 233 may be invoked, allowing the state to override local considerations.
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE HERE, HERE AND HERE.
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
