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15 <br /> adjoining properties. And again, there are no odors associated with solar farms. There is no <br /> out-gassing, or anything that would cause those concerns. <br /> Next would be noise impact levels. Again there are no noise impacts coming off the solar <br /> farms. At night, they're silent. During the day—from the fence line, I've never been able to hear <br /> the inverters. I understand there's a fan going somewhere in the solar farm, but I've never really <br /> been able to hear them over background noise. So, there's no impact off that. <br /> You now come down to stigma and that is the next category, which is normally like concerns <br /> over, say adult establishments near residences, or things of that nature. There are no stigma <br /> associated with solar farms. <br /> The last category is appearance. And that's the only area where solar farms really talk about— <br /> again, when I talk about these categories, appearance, typically, is going to fall on a very small <br /> range of impact. When I have determined impact before, it's been looking at things like water <br /> towers, looking at billboard signs, things that are up high and are very visible and hard to <br /> obscure. The solar panels in this case, are going to be less than ten feet tall. There's going to <br /> be landscape buffers and they are going to be hard to see and they are going to be very well <br /> screened. They re really well consistent with areas, and I really don't project any impact due to <br /> appearance. So again, it's my professional opinion, that not only will this have no impact on <br /> adjoining property values, but it's also a harmonious location for a solar farm. I'd be happy to go <br /> back over any of this, or answer any questions. <br /> Chair McKee: Questions? I believe not. Thank you sir. <br /> Richard Kirkland: Thank you very much. <br /> Brian Quinlan resumed the PowerPoint presentation: <br /> ➢ Project to maintain existing trees and shrubs on perimeter and supplement as necessary <br /> to provide buffer meeting Type D requirements (Option 1) <br /> • 50' landscape buffer surrounding the site <br /> o Provides visual separation/screening <br /> o Project will not be seen from surrounding properties <br /> • Prevents any potential glare from project to surrounding properties and streets <br /> ➢ NC Utilities Commission has determined that the project is a public necessity (issuance <br /> of CPCN) <br /> Landscape requirement (chart) <br /> Landscape plan (sketch) <br /> Harmony and compliance <br /> ➢ County planning process acknowledges that solar projects can be compatible in R1 <br /> zoning <br /> ➢ Project does not require water or sewer <br /> ➢ Traffic study performed <br /> • Less than one car per day during operation <br /> • No employees on site <br /> o Two scheduled maintenances annually <br />