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Before I launch into that, I just want to make it clear that we are very strong supporters of
<br /> alternative energy sources and green energy technologies. Our house is passive solar design. I
<br /> drive a Prius that gets 54 miles per gallon. We subscribe to the Duke Power manager, so they
<br /> turn off our air conditioner in times of high demand to save energy. And we belong to several
<br /> organizations that strive to support—to reduce greenhouse gases and other threats to the
<br /> environment. While we very strongly support solar energy as an energy source when they are
<br /> appropriately sited, we are very disturbed about this project because it would be built quite
<br /> literally on top of our property and our neighborhood. So,just basically, the first point is the
<br /> more technical one. The second one is—will be very brief.
<br /> So the first point is the issue of potential flooding on our lot. Because of the topography-
<br /> Is there a pointer? So, because of the topography—this is our lot here— lot number 2, and the
<br /> fence will be located less than 50 feet—well I'll give it, since it may not be exactly to scale— so
<br /> the minimum border of 50 feet from our property line. So if you look at the gradient lines on a
<br /> clearer copy of this map, which I assume everybody has, what you see is that there is a 9 foot
<br /> drop in elevation from the center of the field to our house, and so we get flooding. When it rains
<br /> very heavily we get some flooding on our property. After we moved in, the first time it happened
<br /> we actually had water in our crawl space and damage to the house and had to do a repair. We
<br /> also put in some drainage and barriers and so forth to control that, and since then, so far we still
<br /> get about 2 to 6 inches of standing water, but it doesn't cause any problems.
<br /> The problem that I'm concerned about with the field and the way that the array is laid out
<br /> — so if you look at those 7 points, first of all, the ground beneath each solar panel is not going to
<br /> get the same rainfall as the ground in between the panels. So it will be a relatively dry area.
<br /> The ground in between panels is going to get direct rainfall and the runoff from each panel, so
<br /> that will be a relatively wetter area. On a level surface that water would tend to seep in from the
<br /> wetter to the dryer areas and probably equalize. However, you'll notice that the panels are
<br /> going to be lined up facing so that the water in between the panels will tend to run downhill, and
<br /> so the slope of the field will cause the water in the wetter areas between the panels, instead of
<br /> seeping to the dryer areas, it is going to begin to flow downhill. And so we are going to get
<br /> increased water, and any increased water on our property is going to be a problem.
<br /> And so, the—also right now, as is pointed out in my written statement, the field is a
<br /> hayfield, and it is an excellent— it's like a sponge when it rains. So it absorbs a lot of water that
<br /> protects us from flooding. So, if the vegetation between the panels is not as effective at
<br /> absorbing the water, that's going to aggravate the problem, so we have a major concern. We
<br /> have been unable to find any data on this, presumably because solar arrays, as has been
<br /> pointed out, are not located in areas like this, on top of a residential neighborhood that has been
<br /> established, as has been pointed out, for over 50 years. So, I'm not going to—You can read it
<br /> in the statement there. Because of the concern about the flooding on our particular property, we
<br /> feel that it is certainly not going to meet any of the criteria in the UDO for a special use permit.
<br /> And the likelihood of flooding and damage to our property and home is not addressed in the
<br /> application, thus the applicant has failed to meet the requirements of the UDO. For this reason,
<br /> my wife and I urge you to deny the application. However, in the event that the application is not
<br /> denied, we— continuance of this process that would allow us to get an assessment from a storm
<br /> water management expert and to be able to estimate the risk, the degree of risk, the potential
<br /> for damage, the likelihood of that, and whatever may be involved in addressing that. And so
<br /> because we had 17 days notice, including 2 weekends and a holiday, we haven't had time to be
<br /> able to get this matter addressed.
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