By BEX Staff for AZBEX
The Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission will take up a request next month to develop a 1,000 MW solar power generating facility and an associated 1,000 MW battery energy storage system on 1,092 acres of the 1,169-acre TAP Solar Project site.
The site is located approximately eight miles southwest of Maricopa at the SWC of Papago and Warren roads. Developer Sawtooth DevCo, LLC is requesting a major comprehensive plan amendment from moderate low-density residential to green energy production for the power generation facility.
According to the submitted project narrative, “The CPA request will be accompanied by a subsequent request for a Planned Area Development (PAD) Overlay with an accompanying zone change to rezone the underlying parcels from PAD with Single Residence Zone (CR-3/PAD) and Local Business Zone (CB-1/PAD) to PAD with Industrial Zoning District (I-3/PAD) to support the future land use and site plan approval.”
One of the parcels in the area of the Vekol Wash corridor will remain as a proposed regional park space. The narrative says leaving Vekol Wash in its natural state will allow for a natural buffer between the planned development and existing residential property and honors a commitment established with neighbors during earlier approvals.
Local news outlets report that even though Pinal County has become a hot spot for solar development, the TAP Solar proposal is the first major project of its type planned near Maricopa.
If approved and constructed, the facility would be run by solar operator Copia Power.
The requests are scheduled for a Pinal County Citizens Advisory Committee meeting Sept. 5 and for a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing Sept. 19. Project representatives told local news sources a site plan for the solar development will be submitted to County planners after the hearing and will then go before the Board of Supervisors for final approval.
Hidden Valley Ranch Partners, LLC is the property owner. The project developer is Sawtooth DevCo, LLC. Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. is the planner and engineer. The project is represented by Rose Law Group.
