The Impact
Responsible renewable energy is great. But this industrial-scale solar project is bad for our land, our people, and our future.
Property values drop, but taxes don’t.
Studies show values decrease near industrial solar sites. Yet assessments stay the same — meaning neighbors lose equity while still paying full taxes.
These projects don’t build community — they choke future growth.
What happens when land meant for homes, farmland, natural resources, or small businesses is blocked by walls of solar panels? Smart residential growth dies, and our community gets boxed in.
Some homes will be surrounded on 3–4 sides by fencing and panels — for life.
Families who’ve built their lives here will lose their views, privacy, and peace,— just industrial fencing and endless rows of metal.
What are the current Tippecanoe County Rules?
Commercial solar development is regulated by section 4-11-14 of the Unified Zoning Ordinance (UZO). A project on AA farmland may only proceed if they get special exception approval. The UZO says the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) can only grant a special exception if: the UZO allows the use on this type of land, the applicant meets all applicable terms of the UZO, the use will not subvert the UZO (meaning it won’t hurt public health, safety, or welfare); and, the use will not harm other properties based on traffic, light, noise, or hours of operation. The BZA is required to make determinations on these factors at a public meeting.”
What harm will come from the project?
Public Health and Safety
Increased erosion and drainage issues in and around the fields will potentially cause more frequent ponding and flooding and possible contamination of the Teays Aquifer, source of water for Tippecanoe County. Roads will crumble under the heavy load during installation, maintenance, and decommissioning. Hidden in this project request are Battery Energy Storage System installations (BESS) facilities, which represent serious safety and fire risks to nearby residents and anyone downwind from a battery storage system fire. Noise from over 50 inverters will provide continual auditory disruption.
Reduced Property Value
Studies have found that homes within 1/2 mile of solar installations see a decrease in property value, and that the impact is more pronounced when the solar replaces agricultural land, as is the case here. Additional residential and commercial growth, and the accompanying taxes, will also be reduced when farm fields are paved over with solar panels.
Consistent with the character of the district
The character of the district, for over 100 years, has been wide open agricultural land interspersed with wooded areas with homes, supporting businesses, small towns, wildlife, recreational, and educational areas. About 100 residences are within a quarter-mile of the proposed installation, with another 100 within a half-mile.
This plan calls for almost 275,000 individual solar panels, mounted 15 feet high, covering fields for almost three square miles. There is also an additional transfer/substation planned to be built in the middle of a residential neighborhood. None of this is not consistent with the character of the district.
Wildlife
Shelby Township is home to a healthy population of wildlife. Mammals include beavers and squirrels; carnivores like coyotes, foxes, and bobcats; and ungulates like white-tailed deer. Bats and many species of birds, including turkeys, are also home in the area.
Solar installations have negative impacts on wildlife by disrupting natural travel and migration corridors and fragmenting habitats. Birds can be attracted to the reflective surfaces of solar panels, leading to injury.
Solar fields can alter vegetation and insect abundance, impacting the diets of some species. Construction and maintenance activities also create noise pollution that can interfere with wildlife communication and behavior.