4.c 7b Kevin & Michelle Olson letter to PCApril 1, 2016
TO: Scandia Planning Commission and City Council
Re: Solar Garden Application for 23359 Oldfield Rd. N.
APR a 2011
CITY OF SCANDIA
We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that we greatly oppose a solar garden being built
on the above mentioned agricultural lot. The neighborhood of 236th Street, 237th Street and Oldfield
Road North will be greatly affected and it will be an eye sore for all of us as we travel to and from our
homes. We live in Scandia for the rural setting and beauty of the area. A huge solar panel field should
not be what we have to look at on a daily basis!
Although there is still not enough data collected to ascertain whether a solar garden in our
neighborhood will affect the values of our homes, I can guarantee it will affect the saleability of our
homes in the future. The typical person looking for a home in Scandia will most likely choose a home
surrounded by the rural setting they come out to Scandia for over our homes that are by a solar garden.
The city ordinance #162, under performance standards states that "Solar farms and community solar
gardens shall be screened from view from the public right of way to the extent possible by setbacks,
berming, existing vegetation, landscaping, or a combination thereof." What does to the extent possible
even mean? Is it 50%, 75% or 100%? In our estimation it should be 100%, but who gets to make that
decision? Please consider this subject carefully! The applicant has not given clear information on how
they plan to screen this solar garden from every house that will be able to see this sight. The above
address is one of the highest points in Scandia. They will have to spend significant dollars to screen it
from everyone's view.
We would also like you to consider the fact that ordinance #162 should never have been passed as it is
in the first place. We believe there was a lack of judgement about where these solar gardens should be
placed in our city. We rely on our planning commission and city council to keep our rural neighborhoods
as pristine and beautiful as they were when we came to Scandia to build our homes. A moratorium
should have been placed on this subject until the commission and council could collect enough
professional data on how the ordinance should have been written. This was done in May Township and
we believe it would have saved everyone a lot of time and energy.
Please consider what we and our neighbors have asked you to consider before you accept the
application for a solar garden on 23359 Oldfield Road North.
Sincerely,
Kevin & Michelle Olson
14010237 1h St North