JULY 1ST, REPORTING LIVE IN JAMIE MAYES WLKY NEWS. JAMIE, THE CLARK COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DENIED A SPECIAL USE EXEMPTION TO BUILD A SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ON PRIVATE FARM LAND. NOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS CONSIDERING A CHANGE TO LAND ORDINANCE. UNDER THAT CHANGE, SOLAR FACILITIES WOULD BE ALLOWED ONLY ON LAND ZONED FOR LIGHT OR HEAVY INDUSTRY. NORMAN SEAWRIGHT WAS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING TONIGHT. NORMAN WHAT’S NEW? WELL, VICKI, THE COMMISSION HEARD AROUND 2.5 HOURS OF PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THAT PROPOSED AMENDMENT, BUT THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY ACTION JUST YET. SUPPORTERS SAY COMMERCIAL SOLAR HAS NO PLACE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, BUT OPPONENTS SAY THIS WOULD BE A SEVERE LIMITATION OF THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS. I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY MYSELF. I WANT TO SEE SOLAR PANELS AROUND MY HOUSE. THE BIG THING IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT’S IT GOING TO DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT? WHAT’S IT GOING TO DO TO THE WILDLIFE? STEVE WOODS BELIEVES COMMERCIAL SOLAR ENERGY FIELDS DO NOT BELONG ON CLARK COUNTY. FARMLAND. ON THE OTHER HAND, CARAY VAUGHN AGREED TO LEASE HER FARMLAND TO A DEVELOPER TO BUILD A SOLAR FARM. I DID MY RESEARCH AND I’M LIKE, OKAY, THIS ISN’T HURTING ANYONE. IT’S NOT GOING TO HURT ANY ANIMALS. THIS COULD THIS COULD SAVE US. SHE SAYS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP. AFTER A BATTLE WITH CANCER NEARLY EIGHT YEARS AGO, LEFT HER WITH MASSIVE DEBT. BUT THE SPECIAL USE EXEMPTION TO BUILD IT WAS DENIED BY THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. IT’S WHY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS CONSIDERING A CHANGE TO ITS DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE. IT’S A SOUND, YOU KNOW, BUT IT STILL HASN’T REACHED ANY OTHER CONCLUSION THAN THE BCA SAYING NO. AFTER HEARING DOZENS OF COMMENTS FOR AND AGAINST RAISING ISSUES OF PROPERTY RIGHTS, PROPERTY VALUES, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT EXERCISE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BCA MEMBERS HAVE GONE THROUGH FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. THE COMMISSION VOTED TO GIVE ITSELF MORE TIME TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE, WHILE VAUGHN SAYS SHE AND OTHERS WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR FARMLAND IN THEIR FAMILIES AND PROFIT AS THEY SEE FIT, WOODS SAYS THERE ARE MORE APPROPRIATE PLACES FOR COMMERCIAL SOLAR ENERGY FARMS LIKE RIVER RIDGE, WHERE THE CLARK COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER IS LOCATED. I’M ALSO FIGHTING FOR 30 SOMETHING FAMILIES IN THERE THAT JUST THEY HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS, AND THEY’RE SCARED. PUT THEM IN HERE, BUT THEY CAN BUY FARMLAND CHEAPER THAN THEY CAN INDUSTRIAL. THIS AMENDMENT WAS TABLED UNTIL JUNE 10TH, AND AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MAKE A RECOMMEN