PULASKI COUNTY, Ind. -- The Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals heard from a group of residents Monday night concerned about a solar permit given to Doral Renewables for part of their Mammoth South Solar Project.
The group filed an appeal for the solar permit, saying it wasn't done in accordance with county ordinances because it was missing documents, or the documents were unfinished.
Those documents in question were the decommissioning agreement, road usage agreement, and financial assurance bonds.
The group is against the massive solar farm that's currently taking shape in their backyard.
It was a first for the board, the president, Derrick Stalbaum says they've never had to hold a hearing like this.
The board had to decide whether or not the county building inspector actually had the correct documents that are necessary and legal prior to granting a solar permit for part of the Mammoth South Solar Project which is still being built.
The board ultimately decided that the appeal didn't have standing, as the documents existed before the permit was granted, meaning the permit was granted in accordance with county ordinances.
"I had pieces of information in my hand that were those documents, and they were dated prior to the existence of the permit. To me, I think the whole situation is very cut and dry. It's either those documents existed, or they didn't," explains the President of the Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals Derrick Stalbaum.
Stalbaum compares the documents to the Constitution, even if there are amendments made to it, it's still valid.
"I think that is kind of where some of the confusion was," says Stalbaum. "Because it wasn't finalized; the form that it's in now wasn't necessarily its current form at the time, but that doesn't negate the fact it existed."
He stresses that Monday night's decision didn't come down to personal opinions on solar projects itself.
"In this specific situation, the important things are did this meet the requirement," Stalbaum says. "Not 'I don't like solar,' or 'I do like solar.'"