(Versailles, IN) – Ripley County Commissioners tabled action Monday night on a proposed solar ordinance after taking comments from the public for an hour and a half.
Attorney Blaine Timonera represents seven property owners south of Batesville. His clients want commissioners to adopt the ordinance recommended earlier this year by the Ripley County Area Plan Commission, which calls for setbacks of 200 feet from residential property lines and 100 feet from county roads and highways.
Two of the Commissioners want to go with state minimum setbacks of 50 feet from residential property lines and 10 feet from local roads. However, District 1 commissioner Mark Horstman says he respectfully disagrees with his colleagues’ proposed amendment to the ordinance.
Horstman is in favor of the more stringent setbacks, which he says would protect everyone in the county – from the seven property owners who brought the matter to county leaders’ attention over the summer, to farmers, residential areas, and those who own woods or hunting property.
Commissioners will revisit the issue at their next meeting on December 11 at 8 a.m. in the Ripley County Government Annex.
