From: Gary and Sandy Davis
Columbus
There are many websites where you can find truthful information, not just what the solar developers want you to believe. The websites will include informative studies by experts that show very negative facts. Do we want them in our area? I don’t think so!
Why place solar farms on land that is prime farmland like here in Bartholomew County? Instead, propose them on land that is not suitable for agriculture. That makes more sense.
Solar farms reduce food and crop production. We are already concerned about food prices. With less production, that will happen even more.
Farmland is already dwindling due to real estate development. We do not want to reduce farmland even more.
Solar farms cost tenant farmers their livelihood, their jobs needed to support their families. Those farmers, in turn, are not purchasing seed and supplies from local businesses. That has an impact on the local economy.
Most of the money generated by solar farms is not retained locally, so there is no local economic advantage to the area where there are solar farms.
The environment is a major concern that most people do not realize — permanent loss of the land.
There are too many other reasons to object to solar farms to list here. I strongly urge readers to go online and see for yourself to learn more about the negative impact of solar farms. I think you will be quite enlightened to read the studies by experts.
The following website has a lot of information relative to Indiana solar farms: elkhartcountyplanninganddevelopment.com/doc/Citizen%20submittal_2.pdf.
There are two public meetings scheduled to address the solar farms proposed. We encourage members of the public to attend and show your support by opposing both the city and county proposals.
Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting: Monday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
City of Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m.
Both meetings will take place in the Columbus City Hall meeting room, 123 Washington Street, and via Webex video conference.
More information and diagrams on the proposed 1,945 acres proposed just in our area is available at B4CSF.com.
