November 18, 2025 • Nellie B. Chisholm Middle School, Montague
The White River Township Planning Commission held a regular meeting on Tuesday evening, November 18, 2025, focused almost entirely on the Special Land Use Permit application for the proposed 150 MW Lakeside Solar project. The session included presentations from township-hired consultants, a detailed critique of the project’s completeness, and extensive public comment.
1. Opening of Meeting
Chair Lauren Wackernagel called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by roll call and approval of the evening’s agenda.
Minutes from the October 28, 2025 special meeting—focused on the Parks & Rec Master Plan—were approved unanimously.
2. Public Comment
No public comments were made during this time.
3. Old Business: Lakeside Solar LLC Special Land Use Permit Application
This portion constituted the majority of the meeting.
A. Presentation of Township Consultants
White River Township enlisted external experts to assist in evaluating the complex application:
- Chris Doozan, Planner, McKenna
- Professional planner since 1978
- Significant experience with rural land use and utility-scale energy projects
- Leslie Zawada, P.E., Civil Engineering Solutions (CES)
- 30 years’ experience in municipal engineering and site plan review
- Led technical review concerning floodplains, grading, engineering completeness, and state regulatory compliance
Both emphasized that they represent the Township, not the applicant, Lakeside Solar.
4. Project Summary: Lakeside Solar Application
Consultants reiterated core facts about the proposal, noting that the original applicant presentation at the public hearing had been only “2–3 minutes,” leaving the public without a clear understanding of the project’s scale.
Key details presented by Doozan and Zawada:
Scale of Project
- 150 MW solar facility
- Estimated production equivalent to powering ~39,600 homes annually
- White River Township contains only 785 homes, highlighting the disproportionate scale
- Co-located Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
- ~150 MW power capacity
- ~600 MWh storage
Land Use
- 44 parcels totaling 1,753 acres included in project
- After subtracting homesteads, the Land Control Area = 1,575 acres
- Preliminary Development Area = 982 acres where facilities would actually be built
- Solar arrays alone would occupy 733 acres
- Multiple facilities—BESS, collector substation, ITC switching station, weather stations, access roads
Major Issue Identified: Unaccounted Acreage
The application’s acreage breakdown did not account for 213.2 acres of the development area—an explicit deficiency.
Agricultural Impact
- 84.9% of the land in the control area is prime farmland or locally important farmland
- Township zoning prohibits siting utility-scale solar on prime agricultural soils
- Project does not currently comply with that ordinance requirement
Floodplain Conflicts
- Maps showed numerous solar arrays proposed within regulated floodplains, including the Pierson Swamp Drain corridor
- This violates state and local requirements
- Consultants asked why these locations were chosen and when the plans would be modified
5. Extensive Question List for the Applicant
An extensive, highly detailed list of 50+ questions for the applicant, covering:
- Land control documentation
- Farmland development rights
- Compliance with zoning limits on maximum acreage
- Missing engineering details
- Missing BESS and ITC station plans
- Lack of stormwater, drainage, and grading plans
- Missing title work and unshown easements
- Landscape buffer discrepancies
- Tree removal and landmark tree identification
- Pollinator requirements under PA 233
- Soil boring data and geotechnical work
- Exterior lighting specifications
- Sound modeling details and inverter noise data
- Wildlife corridors and habitat buffers
- Full site plan for the BESS facility
- Sealed engineering documents
- Stormwater detention ponds referenced but not shown on plans
These questions were White River township Nov 18 Planning Commission
Applicant Response Delay
Geronimo/Lakeside Solar informed the Township on November 17 that they could not provide meaningful responses in time for the meeting.
The next special meeting, where official responses are expected, is scheduled for:
December 2, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
6. Zoning Administrator’s Site Review Summary
Zoning Administrator Bill Schmiege provided a detailed report and shared an 18-page compliance matrix he prepared.
Major findings included:
Application is Currently Incomplete
- Many required elements—dimensions, ownership documentation, property line data—were missing
- Numerous required permits are not yet applied for or provided
- Engineering plans do not meet scale requirements
- Noise impacts cannot be validated due to missing equipment specifications
- Drainage and stormwater impacts remain unclear
- Soil boring data is inconsistent between applicant claims and outside consultant findings
- Major concerns about impacts to streams and wetlands during construction
Schmiege emphasized the project’s complexity:
“This is at least a 10 out of 10 in terms of difficulty.”
7. Public Comment
Support for Township’s Thorough Review
Residents widely praised the Planning Commission and consultants for their diligence.
Concerns Raised
- Scale of project is disproportionate to township size
- Farmland loss: Residents emphasized the proposal consumes ~40% of township farmland
- Potential wildlife displacement due to large-scale construction
- Noise, disruption, and year-long construction impacts (a resident played audio from the Hart solar project’s construction zone)
- Surveillance concerns regarding weather stations with cameras
- Fire safety and emergency response concerns for BESS and inverter stations
- Transmission line destination and whether local residents will actually benefit from generated power
- Loss of hunting access near solar fields
- Contract fairness based on stories from other communities
- Fairness in timelines: residents noted the township was denied an extension while the applicant was granted one
One resident summarized the frustration:
“This community didn’t say no—but we’re not being treated like partners.”
8. Closing
With no new business and no further correspondence or comments from officials, the meeting adjourned.
Summary Takeaway
The November 18 meeting made clear that Lakeside Solar’s application is substantially incomplete, missing critical engineering, environmental, zoning, and legal documentation required under both the Township Ordinance and Public Act 233.
Township officials and consultants emphasized:
- The project’s massive scale
- Violations of zoning rules protecting prime farmland
- Arrays placed improperly in regulated floodplains
- Major gaps in engineering data, sound modeling, stormwater management, and site plans
Residents expressed deep concerns about impact to rural character, agriculture, wildlife, and quality of life.
The Township awaits the applicant’s full responses on December 2, 2025.
The full application is available here for viewing: Lakeside Solar Project
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