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119A INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA MEMORANDUM TO: Jason E. Brown; County Administrator THROUGH: Stan Boling, AICP; Community Development Director THROUGH: John W. McCoy, AICP; Chief, Current Development FROM: Ryan Sweeney; Senior Planner, Current Development DATE: April 5, 2017 SUBJECT: Florida Power & Light Company's Request for Special Exception Use Approval for a Private Heavy Utility (Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center) [SP -SE -17-04-06 / 2017030093-78598] It is requested that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of April 18, 2017. DESCRIPTION & CONDITIONS Culpepper & Terpening, Inc., on behalf of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), has submitted an application for major site plan and special exception use approval to construct a new private heavy utility (Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center). The subject site is approximately 424 acres in size and is located on the west side of 98th Avenue, between 4th Street and 9th Street SW (Oslo Road). Please see attachment 3. The site is zoned A-2, Agricultural -2 (up to 1 unit per 10 acres), a zoning district in which special exception use approval is required for private heavy utilities (including solar energy centers). The entire site, with the exception of two small wetland areas, will be developed with solar arrays and stabilized access pathways (see attachment 7). In this case, the applicant has applied for concurrent major site plan and special exception use approval. Consistent with the County land development regulations (LDRs), staff has approved the major site plan application subject to Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approval of the special exception use. The BCC now needs to consider the special exception use request for the proposed private heavy utility (solar energy center), conduct a public hearing, and approve, approve with conditions, or deny the request. Pursuant to Section 971.05 of the LDRs, the BCC is to consider the appropriateness of the requested use for the subject site and compatibility of the use with the surrounding area. The BCC may recommend reasonable conditions and safeguards necessary to mitigate impacts and to ensure compatibility of the use with the surrounding area. Planning and Zoning Commission Action: At its meeting of March 23, 2017, the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) voted 5-0 to recommend that the BCC grant special exception use approval with a minor modification to the staff -recommended C \Users\GRANIC—I\AppData\Local\Temp\BCL Technologies\easyPDF 7\@BCL@0006E03B\@BCL@0006E03B.docx P148