On Thursday the Marshall County Plan Commission voted to send a favorable recommendation to the County Commissioners to enact a 12-month, or less moratorium for Utility Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems.
During the meeting Ty Adley, the County Plan Director told the County Plan Commission that the current zoning ordinance had no provisions for regulations concerning Utility Scale Battery Systems as defined by Indiana Code. He said in a prior meeting the Plan Commission stated they would like to amend the zoning ordinance to include regulations for the battery storage facilities.
In discussing the moratorium Adley said no new building permits, land use applications, site development plans including applications for improvement location permits, special exceptions, variances, or rezonings pertaining to Utility Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems will be accepted by the Marshall County Building Commission, Marshall County Plan Commission or Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals for 12 months, while and until the Marshall County Plan Commission can determine appropriate building, zoning and use regulations which will be adopted and incorporated into the county’s zoning ordinance by the County Commissioners.
The Plan Commission conducted a public hearing on the resolution to send a favorable recommendation to enact a moratorium to the commissioners. Three individuals spoke in favor of the moratorium and one person spoke against the moratorium.
A motion was made by Matt Miller to send the favorable recommendation for a moratorium to the commissioners on the Utility Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems and seconded by Deb Johnson. Six members of the County Plan Commission voted in favor of the battery moratorium and County Commissioner Kevin Overmyer abstained from voting since he and his wife have signed of option to lease some of their property to a company interested in operating a Utility Scale Battery Energy Storage System on their property.
