IMPA Solar park fast-tracked for Bainbridge, possible March start

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

BAINBRIDGE -- A solar farm originally slated for 2016 has been fast-tracked for the Town of Bainbridge, offering a preliminary development date as soon as March.

The difference between another year versus another month is drastic.

Zoning, tax abatements, annexation to the south of the proposed solar park location, not to mention the sale of the land to the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) and the array of paperwork associated with these processes has town officials working diligently to get everything taken care of so that the town may benefit from the green energy project.

A "rough draft" places the 92,400-square-foot park next to Bainbridge Elementary School school on a 4.8-acre plot, although this is subject to change dependent upon a myriad of decisions and conversations that are yet to be addressed.

"We don't necessarily like this as it is and I know there are going to be some changes," Bainbridge clerk-treasurer Jason Hartman said about the current plan, citing the early development as reason for a degree of uncertainty.

Since the proposed date of the project has been moved forward, no contracts have yet been signed and talks are in the preliminary stages but things seem to be moving forward.

The park will inhabit a piece of land recently purchased by Bainbridge in anticipation for development opportunities such as this one.

The town is required to notify all residents of Bainbridge living within 200 feet of the property of what the town intends to do and whether or not residents would be affected by the development.

The property is currently zoned as residential use and, as Hartman explained, the town was not expecting the sudden offer to begin building the park so soon despite an ongoing conversation about the project.

"Obviously we'd love to see this happen in 2015 if possible and then the next thing I know they (IMPA) call us," and explain that there are solar panels being shipped that IMPA would like to find a home for.

The current location for the solar park is and must be rezoned for manufacturing use before sale of the land becomes official.

The three parcels to the south of the proposed solar location are also in the process of being annexed and designated as public use lands, though these parcels would not be used by the solar park (insofar as discussions that have happened thus far) with the possible exception of allowing an easement across any necessary plots.

More information on the development of the solar park will be made available in the coming weeks as the town works to negotiate and solidify details of the project.

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  • more of these type of things need to be built around here. Wind farms would work quite well here also.

    -- Posted by Heron on Fri, Feb 20, 2015, at 6:48 PM
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