Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors took a step toward allowing a 2,357-acre solar energy facility in rural southwest Maricopa County last week. Residents in opposition to the project claim it will lower area property values, block the view of an extinct volcano that is a landmark in the area and disrupt the area’s aesthetic character.
The board last Wednesday approved a change to the county’s major comprehensive plan that would allow for utilities to be built on the site, in the area of Old Highway and 319th Avenue, just west of Buckeye. The property stretches into both the Arlington and Hassayampa communities.
The property previously was designated for rural residential. The board still must approve a zoning change to allow for the developer, San Francisco-based Candela Renewables, to begin construction.
