by Joseph Schultz
NorthStar Clean Energy – Allegan Solar LLC has withdrawn its application for a variance of the solar ordinance in Hopkins Township,.
NorthStar went to the Hopkins Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) last month seeking variances for setbacks from a non-participating property, as well as for wetlands and flood plains. The review of the application, however, was halted before it even started.
Township officials revealed that North Star had misidentified one of the parcels in the notice published before the meeting. According to state law, the typo needed to be corrected and republished before the application could be considered.
Though the application could not be reviewed, residents at February’s meeting asked questions about NorthStar’s plans for a 101-megawatt solar energy system and a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Monterey and Hopkins Townships.
Township attorney Seth Koches took up several concerns, but noted that many questions cannot be answered because the township does not yet have an application for a special use permit.
When asked for a reason for the withdrawal, NorthStar Clean Energy Senior Manager Colin Daining responded that NorthStar was “looking at a different approach.”
There is no word as to when NorthStar will submit the application for a permit to Hopkins Township.
NorthStar submitted a special use application to Monterey Township in January. That application is still under review.
