City seeks to rezone Eldorado Valley land for solar leases

City Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed master plan amendment and possible rezoning of land in Eldorado Valley during its Tuesday meeting at Boulder City Hall.

The potential rezoning is to make more room for solar companies in Eldorado Valley.

Boulder City’s Director of Community Development Brok Armantrout is requesting that the council designate 441 acres as a manufacturing energy plot, instead of its current designation as an open land plot. This designation would ensure that the land was used for energy use by solar companies.

Armantrout said that the city is requesting rezoning to better suit its lease agreement with solar company SunPower.

“We have a lease with SunPower and we want to make sure that we use the land for solar energy,” Armantrout said. “We wanted to match the master plan with the lease boundaries of SunPower.”

Armantrout also is requesting separate designation for another 441 acres. He wants that land to have a designation as an energy resource instead of its current zoning as a government park. This designation was necessary because the dry lake bed where this land situated would need to be zoned for energy use and not park use.

Armantrout said that these designations were standard procedure when leasing land to a solar company.

None of the changes have anything to do with developer Randy Schams, who owns land in the Eldorado Valley.

Additionally, the council will hold a public hearing at the beginning of the meeting regarding approval of the business impact statement for possible rate increases for waste disposal and recycling. The Department of Public Works has recommended a number of fee increases for electric, water, sewer and the Boulder City Municipal Cemetery.

The council will not vote on new fees until Dec. 13, but the public hearing gives residents a chance to voice their concerns before the December meeting.

Contact reporter Max Lancaster at mlancaster @bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow him on Twitter @MLancasterBCR.