I am writing this letter to weigh in on the current debate about zoning in Bourbon County. For full transparency, I must disclose that I do not reside within Bourbon County. My wife and I live just an eighth of a mile into Allen County on land that has belonged to her family since the 1800s. Our cattle ranch is situated across both Bourbon and Allen Counties in nearly equal portions. Additionally, I should note that we are participating landowners in the Hinton Creek solar project.
First and foremost, I would like to urge Commissioner Beerbower and his cadre of busybodies to stop pretending that the push for zoning is motivated by reasons other than stopping solar development. If that’s not the case, I challenge him to state specifically what type of unregulated industrial growth he aims to protect the rural areas of the county from. I see no industries of any kind eager to establish themselves in the rural sections of the county. Why would they? The infrastructure is lacking: many areas in the western townships do not have water, sewer, or electrical services. The majority of the roads are unpaved or in poor condition. Our youth are leaving due to the scarcity of job opportunities. There is no compelling reason for anyone to want to develop the western part of the county. So, apart from solar development, what industries are you trying to shield us from, Mr. Beerbower?
Given that the entire zoning initiative is clearly centered on the singular issue of solar development, let’s examine the tactics employed thus far by Whisenhunt, Beerbower, and their associates. Since becoming aware of the debates surrounding our contracts, I have witnessed this county commission disregard the interests of the entire county to cater to a small, vocal group that regularly attends commission meetings. For the sake of brevity, I will refer to this group as Busybodies, Inc.
The commission formed a committee comprised of these individuals to investigate the alleged “dangers” posed by solar farms. There was never an opportunity for anyone to present counterarguments, as the committee was not genuinely seeking the truth. The conclusions drawn from the so-called “research” were easily discredited, and I would have welcomed the chance to address them, and still would if given the opportunity. Their amateurish and biased research served as the basis for a moratorium on solar development, aimed at nullifying legal contracts between landowners and developers.
The commissioners and others attempted as individuals to sue themselves as the commission (still trying to wrap my head around that one) to overturn these contracts, while cleverly shifting the burden of individual legal expenses onto the taxpayers. Busybodies, Inc. distributed flyers and made social media posts claiming that 45,000 acres of Bourbon County would be covered with solar panels, a blatant falsehood. They circulated petitions demanding what they claimed were reasonable concessions. One of their demands was a one-mile setback from all residences for both solar panels and transmission lines, effectively rendering most of Bourbon County off-limits. When solar companies proposed 350-foot setbacks, BB Inc. insisted on a minimum of 600 feet, not only from homes but also from property lines, making any parcel smaller than 640 acres impractical for development. When the solar developers offered to plant trees as a visual barrier, they insisted on constructing berms to ensure they wouldn’t be inconvenienced by even the sight of a solar panel. They were well aware that these and all their other demands were unrealistic. Their true goal was never to negotiate or reach a compromise; it was to completely halt any solar development. They claimed to be protecting farmers and ranchers from “greedy developers,” as if we entered our contracts under coercion or lacked the acumen to hire attorneys to review them. How disingenuous, insulting, and patronizing!
Here’s a fact that the Solar Committee conveniently overlooked: No one has ever died due to a solar farm fire. Not a single instance. Conversely, there are numerous fatal incidents involving railroad fires, manufacturing facility fires, or even grassfires on cattle ranches. Yet, none of the members of Busybodies Inc. are actively campaigning on social media to stop those occurrences. Why not? Because they understand that the only legal and ethical justification for restricting someone’s property rights is if those rights are causing direct harm to others. Consequently, Busybodies Inc. has consistently spread alarmist rhetoric via social media from the outset to persuade you all that we “absentee landowners” are endangering you.
I apologize for the lengthy recounting of this issue’s history, but I feel it is necessary for you to consider this: BB Inc. has thus far been willing to spread blatant untruths, burden their fellow citizens with legal fees, deprive local schools of funding, and hinder economic growth in a financially struggling county. They have done all this simply to dictate to me how I may affect THEIR view of MY property. Now they want you, the residents of Bourbon County, to trust that they will be fair and just in how they wield this zoning authority?! I wonder what any of you might wish to construct on your property that wouldn’t meet their approval. I also wonder, due to the rate of resignations within the commission, which member of the busybodies will be hand-selected to make those decisions for you.
I wish I were a resident of Bourbon County. If my wife’s ancestors had settled just a bit further east, I would have a vote in electing these officials. Fortunately, I still have a voice. I hope you will use yours as well, unless you wish to have this particular group of busybodies involved in every business decision you make moving forward. I fear that ultimately, it may not matter. Commissioner Beerbower has made it clear that he intends to implement zoning in the county, regardless of the wishes of the majority. He seems willing to obstruct industrial development and the economic benefits it brings, drown the county in legal fees, and add further layers of costly bureaucracy to appease a handful of vocal, bullying busybodies. I genuinely hope they do not prevail.
Sincerely,
Monte Carriker
Owner/Operator, Wolfpen Creek Cattle Co.
Chief Operations Specialist, US Navy (Ret)
