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Kittitas County Commissioners <br />Agenda Staff Report <br />Agenda Date: February 7, 2017 <br />Action requested: <br />Consider the Resolution denying the Iron Horse Solar Farm Conditional Use Permit (CU-15-00006). <br />Background: <br />OneEnergy Development LLC authorized agent for Bill Hanson, landowner, has submitted a conditional <br />use application for a Major Alternative Energy Facility on approximately 68 acres. The subject property <br />is zoned Agriculture 20. <br />This proposal is located on 4 parcels, located approximately 1 mile east of the City of Kittitas at 320 <br />South Caribou Road, in a portion of Section 01, T17N, R19E, WM in Kittitas County, bearing Assessor’s <br />map numbers 17-19-01000-0028, 17-19-01000-0023, 17-19-01000-0043, and 17-19-01000-0042. <br />SEPA review as per WAC 197-11 for this project was conducted in July of 2016. An MDNS under the <br />provisions of WAC 197-11-355 and WAC 197-11-390 was issued on August 10, 2016. Comments were <br />received from agencies and the general public. On August 10, 2016 the SEPA Official (Robert Hansen) <br />issued an MDNS for the proposal. A timely appeal was filed with the BOCC on August 24, 2016 by <br />“Save Our Farms! Say No to Iron Horse". The appeal was heard before the Kittitas County Hearing <br />Examiner on Thursday October 20, 2016. The Hearing Examiner issued a decision on November 8, 2016 <br />which, based on listed findings, held that “…the August 10, 2016 SEPA determination by the responsible <br />official in the above referenced matter is affirmed in every respect”. <br />The conditional use permit application was submitted to Kittitas County Community Development <br />Services (CDS) on November 12th, 2015. On December 17th, 2015 the application was deemed <br />incomplete following a mandated pre-application meeting between county staff and representatives of the <br />applicant. Materials required at that time included a transportation concurrency application. On March <br />3rd, 2016 revised project materials were submitted by the applicant who included the required information <br />as well as an updated narrative and SEPA checklist. The application was deemed complete on May 12th, <br />2016. The Notice of Application for the conditional use permit was issued on May 23rd, 2016. This notice <br />was published in the official county paper of record and was mailed to jurisdictional government <br />agencies, adjacent property owners and other interested parties. The last day to submit written comments <br />was on June 7th, 2016. <br />The Hearing Examiner hearing was held on October 20, 2016. Representatives of the applicant presented <br />materials and testified at the hearing. Members of the public testified. On November 9, 2016, the Kittitas <br />County Hearing Examiner recommended that the Iron Horse Solar Farm Conditional Use Permit (CU-15- <br />00006) be approved with the staff recommended conditions plus an additional two conditions. <br />The Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners conducted the closed record meeting, as scheduled, <br />to consider accepting the Hearing Examiner's recommendation of approval of the Iron Horse Solar Farm