Solar farms continue to dot the Sherburne County landscape, but not without controversy.

Tuesday, the county board approved four new one-megawatt solar farms during the planning and zoning agenda of the meeting.

But earlier, during the public comment period, Mary Weber of Clear Lake and her brother, Big Lake City Councilman Paul Knier asked the commissioners to consider the long term-implications of solar farms before making their decision.

Weber said there are already too many solar farms in her area at 92nd Street and 58th Ave.

“There are so many solar panels that as you drive down Co. Rd. 57 you see solar panels on both sides of the road, and as you turn onto our street there are solar panels on the right,” she said. “The Gohman (solar farm) is proposed to be on the left.”

 “We are asking that you vote no on that because of the saturation level.”

She also had concerns about electromagnetic radiation and the potential for cadmium and lead from damaged solar panels leaching into the ground.

Knier reiterated those concerns and said the board should do some research, “take a step back,” and create a long-range plan before making its decision.

But later, the board gave its a approval for interim use permits for all four solar farm requests.

They are:

* The E. Goenner Community Solar Farm, a one MW system on 17.85 acres on Co. Rd. 8 near 74th Street SE in Clear Lake Twp.;

* The Hartmann one MW Community Solar Farm on 27.52 acres on Co. Rd. 16  just west of Co. Rd. 8 in Haven Twp.;

* The Gohman one MW Community Solar farm on 30.35 acres on 92nd Street SE and 58th Ave. SE in Clear Lake Twp.

* The Hammer on MW Community Solar Farm on 80 acres on Co. Rd. 8 east of 70th Ave. SE in Clear Lake Twp.

After the votes, Commissioner Felix Schmiesing spoke about their decision.

“These are tough decisions for the board,” he said. “I hope everyone realizes we don’t take them lightly.”

He said the power plants in the county use coal, a cheaper form of electricity that has helped development. 

“But at the end we have a huge coal ash pile we’re going to have forever,” he said.

When the Sherco plants switch over to gas, he said, the county is going to have to deal with siting a gas pipeline to serve the new facility.

“Whatever we do seems like it has tails. All of these things that we get involved in have something going on that make it difficult to make the decision,” he said. “We know we’re affecting the future of this county. We’re trying to do it positively.”

In other planning and zoning actions, the board:

* Approved a request by Mildred Teders to rezone 12.79 acres on Hwy. 10 near Co. Rd. 3 in Haven Twp. from agricultural to industrial;

* Voted to send a request by Riverside Development Corp. for preliminary plat approval for “Wheat Fields,” a residential development on 40 acres In Big Lake Twp., back to the planning commission for further review;

* Took no action to amend the zoning ordinance regarding vegetation standards on solar farms. The issue will be discussed at a future workshop.

* Appointed Lynda Ponting (Baldwin Twp.) and Lloyd Stimmler (Clear Lake Twp.) to the Sherburne County Board of Adjustment.