Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.01 General Application Materials_Part2Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 94 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 95 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 96 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 97 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 98 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 99 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 100 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 101 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 102 Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 103 Decommissioning Plan -4-203.P Wheeler Gulch Solar LLC has retained HDR to develop a Decommissioning Plan that outlines the procedures for removal of the Project infrastructure and site restoration of the Project. In accordance with the Garfield County Zoning Regulations, the plan discusses the anticipated life of the solar facility, present the estimated cost in current dollars of decommissioning of the facility and restoration of the project site and Wheeler Gulch Solar’s provided method for ensuring the necessary funds will be available. The Plan also address the manner in which the solar facility will be decommissioned and the site restored. See Appendix L for the Decommissioning Plan. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 104 General Approval Standards – Article 7, Divisions 1, 2 & 3 and 7-1101 Division 1. General Approval Standards 7-101. Zone District Use Regulations The proposed Land Use Change for the Wheeler Gulch solar facility will comply with Article 3; Zoning and any applicable zone district use restrictions and regulations 7-102. Comprehensive Plan and Intergovernmental Agreements The Land Use Change is in standard conformance with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 (GCCP) and, to the best of Wheeler Gulch Solar, LLC’s knowledge, complies with any applicable intergovernmental agreement. The GCCP encourages the development of renewable energy generation resources for the benefit of individuals, communities, and the County as a whole. 7-103. Compatibility The proposed site is located within the Limited Impact Zone and as such the proposed use is compatible with the low-density residential (10+AC) future use designation. Solar farms are passive facilities that operate in silence, are emissions-free and to not necessitate any daily traffic. The proposed facility is in an area and adjoining other oil and gas operations and it will be consistent with utilizing the natural resources in the region. Solar energy generation is a passive use of energy generation technology and has a low profile. The facility will not be a significant source of dust, glare, noise, air or light pollution and will not generate heavy traffic over its expected life span. 7-104. Source of Water The proposed solar facility will not require water for its operation. Any water required for the construction or maintenance needed will be supplied by a licensed water hauler. Please refer to the Will Serve letter provided in Sections 4-203.M. 7-105. Central Water Distribution and Wastewater Systems The proposed solar facility is an un-manned facility that does not require central water distribution or wastewater systems. 7-106. Public Utilities The project site is located within the service area of Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy has existing facilities in the area and provides public utility service to customers on parcels adjacent to the proposed solar facility. The retail electric load (low voltage) of the solar facility will be small, equivalent to only a few typical households. Accordingly, the existing Xcel network in the area can provide adequate public utility service. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 105 From a high voltage perspective, the proposed solar facility will interconnect with an existing 230 kV Cearus owned power line that is located on the solar facility site. Power flowing from the solar facility will utilize the Caerus 230 kV line and normally will be delivered to a nearby natural gas compressor site operated by Caerus. The Caerus owned 230 kV line interconnects with the Xcel Energy and Tri-State G&T transmission grid near Rifle and can alternatively be used to deliver electricity from the proposed solar facility to Xcel’s high voltage grid 7-107. Access and Roadways The subject parcel already has legal access to the proposed solar array areas from Exit 75 (Parachute/Battlement Mesa) off of I-70, traveling north on CR 215 approximately 3.5 miles; then west at the main access point. This is the same access route to be used from the proposed Provisional Small Contractor’s Yard previously described in this application. This route will adequately and safely serve the proposed use and its construction. Improvements to the above- mentioned highway and county roads will not be necessary and traffic generated by the construction and operation of the facility is not anticipated to cause any significant impacts to the public rights-of-way. 7-108. Use of Land Subject to Natural Hazards Wheeler Gulch Solar has conducted desktop analysis and various studies on the site and do not believe the designated solar array areas to be subject to any significant risks from natural hazards such as floods, avalanches, landslides or earthquakes. 7-109: Fire Protection: All equipment installed at the proposed solar facility will be new, of good quality, UL-Listed and will meet all established testing and safety parameters, including compliance with NFPA 855 and UL 9540. The solar facility will be primarily constructed from non-combustible materials such as glass, aluminum and steel. Electrical fires at solar generation facilities are rare and there are safeguards built into the system design to shut down operations should dangerous conditions be detected. The proposed solar facility will not have utility scale battery storage on the site which alleviates some of the rare fire risks. Most fire concern with solar installations of this nature comes from the possibility of the facility being impacted by brush fires that originate elsewhere but shift to threaten the equipment. Mitigation of fire danger will be achieved by keeping the vegetation under the arrays and within the perimeter fence trimmed and ensuring regular maintenance of the solar generation equipment. Sufficient space of a minimum of 15 feet will be left between the solar array perimeter and the perimeter fence to allow for access in case of a fire. In addition, the dedicated driveways in between the solar arrays will be sufficient to safely accommodate fire-fighting trucks and equipment. The local fire protection district will be provided with the gate code for access should it be required. Wheeler Gulch Solar will follow the recommendations of the district staff after their review of this application. Furthermore, Wheeler Gulch will utilize Caerus’ 24/7 Remote Operations Center (ROC) as the “supervising station”. The ROC uses a high security communications link to the Data Acquisition System (DAS) to monitor sites and receive alarms. Upon a receipt of a critical alarm, the ROC will immediately contact Wheeler Gulch Solar’s respective field services technicians via phone call, regardless of the time of day. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 106 Prior to operation, Wheeler Gulch Solar will provide first responders with a site orientation and presentation on the facility and provide links to third party resources should further training on firefighting around electrical system, including PV arrays, be desired. See Appendix J for the standard Operations and Maintenance Schedule planned for the Wheeler Gulch Solar facility, detailing frequencies with which systems, componentry and vegetation need be inspected and managed to ensure optimal performance and reduced likelihood of system failure or hazard. Division 2. General Resource Protection Standards 7-201. Agricultural Lands There is no know adverse effects of solar installations on adjacent or nearby lands. In addition, there are no private or jurisdictional ditches on the subject property for the Project. The system operator will follow all county regulations, if applicable, regarding the control of domestic animals; maintenance of the perimeter fence; road maintenance; and dust control. 7-202. Wildlife Habitat Areas In all, 10 federally listed species under the ESA and 5 state special status species were identified with the potential to occur, at least seasonally, in the project area. No federally listed species would be impacted as a result of the project. The buffer of land between the solar project site and Parachute Creek and methods to control, minimize, or prevent runoff and soil erosion during construction will avoid potential impacts to the threatened or endangered fish species that inhabit the Colorado River. Habitat for one state threatened species, the burrowing owl, was noted to occur within the project area. A white-tailed prairie dog colony was observed within the project area. Burrowing owls commonly use prairie dog burrows during the breeding season. If construction is planned to occur between March 15 and August 31 (burrowing owl) surveys are recommended prior to disturbance of the area. Habitat for four state species of special concern (midget faded rattlesnake, northern leopard frog, bald eagle, and American peregrine falcon) was also noted to occur within or near the project area. However, these four species are unlikely to occur in the project area and/ or be impacted by project activities. Midget faded rattlesnakes could potentially use the prairie dog burrows on the eastern side of the project area to hibernate. Education on species identification and conflict avoidance for workers on site would minimize impacts to this species. Northern leopard frogs are likely to be found within or near the riparian habitat associated with Parachute Creek. No impacts to northern leopard frogs are expected if this riparian habitat is avoided. No bald eagle nests were identified within ½ mile of the project area. However, bald eagle nest and roost surveys will be completed prior to construction within the study area due to the presence of mature cottonwood trees along Parachute Creek. Construction that occurs between November 15 and August 31 has the potential to impact peregrine falcons and other state-listed birds during nesting or roosting in the vicinity of the project. Surveys will be conducted prior to construction to confirm that no new nests or roosts have been constructed or are being utilized within the study area. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 107 This project has the potential to create a barrier that limits the movement of big game in the area. The layout of project site and exclusionary fencing therefore leaves paths for big game to travel east-west between the solar facility and neighboring facilities, on either the north or south perimeters of the project, as well as providing a large corridor running north and south on unleased portions of the host parcel adjacent to Parachute Creek. . Other mitigation measures to prevent impacts to big game are discussed in the Biological Resources Report included in Appendix C2. Big game species including mule deer and elk may be temporarily disturbed or displaced by construction activity. Collisions or other direct effects are unlikely as most individuals will likely avoid the area during active construction. Please see Appendix C2 for the complete Biological Resources Report detailing USFWS and CPW consultation and analysis, including the USFWS IPaC report and vegetation and wildlife habitat maps. Please also refer to Section B4 for the revegetation plan detailing an appropriate seed mix and application rate recommended for the project’s location from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), featuring mostly Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, and sand dropseed, among others. 7-203. Protection of Waterbodies The solar facility has been purposefully designed to avoid impacts on wetland areas within the overall parcel of land. Wheeler Gulch Solar’s leased project area will not contain any wetlands within its boundary fence. Furthermore, the installation and the operation of Wheeler Gulch Solar will not have impacts on the nearby wetland areas, and the project will not materially alter or change the current surface drainage characteristics of the site. Please see Appendix F for a formal wetland delineation of the site and surrounding areas. 7-204. Drainage and Erosion The project will be subject to the current CDPHE NPDES permit requirements as detailed in the current Storm Water Management Plan shown in Appendix B attached. The installation of the proposed solar arrays will disturb most of the Project Site during construction; revegetation efforts will occur after completion of project construction. The project footprint after installation and revegetation has occurred will result in a 1363 square foot impervious area which covers only 0.36% of the Project site. See Appendix B, Storm Water Management Permit and Appendix E, Impervious Area Memo 7-205. Environmental Quality The completed solar facility is expected to have no negative impacts to air quality and no permanent storage of hazardous materials will occur onsite. 7-206. Wildfire Hazards The subject property is designated as “Moderate to High” fire danger according to the Wildland Fire Susceptibility provided to Garfield County. The facility will consist primarily of Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 108 noncombustible materials such as glass, aluminum and steel. The sites vegetation will be maintained to reduce potential fuels and associated fire danger, in addition to providing setbacks of at least 15 feet between perimeter fencing and array locations. The interior access roads will be constructed with gravel to form additional fire breaks within the site. There will be no utility scale battery storage containers on the site. 7-207. Natural and Geologic Hazards The proposed site is not known to be marked as a Hazard Area for avalanche, landslide or rockfall. Construction is not proposed in an alluvial fan area or on slopes of 20% gradient or greater, or otherwise unstable slopes, nor within any designated mudflow areas or over any known faults. A geotechnical investigation of the area revealed a low to moderate potential for corrosive soils to be present on the site. All concrete foundations will be designed with sufficient protection to allow the facility to meet its design life expectations according to native soils corrosive and/or expansive properties as detailed in the geotechnical report. Please see Appendix D for the Geotechnical Engineering report prepared by Granite Engineering Group, Inc. 7-208. Reclamation After construction, all disturbed areas within the site projects fence line will be over-seeded with the seed mix consisting of native, low-growth plant species and established in accordance with Garfield County standards. No major changes to the existing site topography are proposed. Please refer to the Site Plan in section 4-203.D also Appendix A and the comprehensive Vegetation Management Plan in Appendix G for more details. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 109 Division 3. Site Planning and Development Standards 7-301. Compatible Design The Project site is zoned “RL – Resource Lands”. The proposed use is considered to be low- impact both with regards to the land on the project site and to the neighboring parcels. Outside of the relatively short construction period, where some noise, fumes and dust can be expected from the operation of construction equipment, the facility will not be a significant source of dust, odors, gas fumes or glare throughout its operational life. The solar facility will be sited at a minimum of 25 ft setback from property lines in compliance with its categorization as an Industrial Use per 7-1101 Please see Section 4-203.G- Impact Analysis for discussion of glare potential at the project site location. 7-302. Off-Street Parking and Loading Standards The proposed use of a Solar Energy System – Large is not found in Table 7-302. A. As an unmanned facility, permanent parking is not necessary for this use. Nevertheless, the Project will include parking areas as set forth on the enclosed site plans. Designated parking areas for the construction of the Project are shown on the Site Plan in section B4. There will be no need for any road right-of-way shoulder parking for any of this effort. The site design proposed allows for trucks delivering equipment and construction materials to pull completely off Parachute Creek Road before unloading. Permanent loading bays are not appropriate for this use as there are no buildings proposed that could accommodate loading bays and very few additional deliveries of equipment or materials are anticipated during the operational life of the facility. 7-303. Landscaping Standards Applicant has prepared a vegetation management plan for all disturbed areas within the solar array fence lines, with the recommendations for the planting and establishment of ground cover depending on the season in which construction is completed. All species will be selected as native, drought-tolerant grass species with a relatively low growth profile to minimize the potential for shading of the solar arrays and to minimize susceptibility to fire danger. The land in question is dry, with alkaline soils and significant sun exposure. As such, the planting of additional trees or shrubs is not recommended in keeping with 7-303.C, where landscaping must be consistent with the unique ecosystem and specific environment local to the development. There is very little likelihood that such larger vegetation would be able to establish itself or thrive in such an environment, as shown by the vegetation currently present on the project site. Shrubs such as rabbitbrush and snakeweed may naturally establish themselves over time within the project site through seed dispersal from neighboring areas. Please see Appendix C for the Biological Resources Report Please see Appendix G for the Weed Management Plan. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 110 7-304. Lighting Standards Perimeter or security lighting is not proposed for the facility. It is likely that each equipment pad will feature a single task light with a manual switch, to be used if maintenance or repair to the electrical equipment is required to take place outside of daylight hours. Such task lighting will be downcast to illuminate the equipment area and will not be oriented toward neighboring properties. 7-305. Snow Storage Standards This facility will be unmanned without the need for permanent parking, therefore there is no need for snow storage at this site. 7-306. Trail and Walkway Standards Due to the remote location of the proposed facility from any shopping parks, schools, parks, trails and greenbelts, the inclusion of any trails or walkways or other similar improvements were not considered to be required or necessary. Division 10. Additional Standards of Industrial Uses 7-1101: Solar Energy Systems: There will be signage installed at the gate and at regular intervals along the perimeter fence of each array, warning of electrical shock hazard as required by 7-1101.A. The remainder of the standards discussed in 7-1101.B are for Accessory Solar Energy Systems and do not apply to this application. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project 111 This page intentionally left blank. Wheeler Gulch Solar Project A Site Plans – Full Size, Scalable Set Wheeler Gulch Solar Project This page intentionally left blank.