The Montgomery City Board of Adjustments voted to approve a special exception allowing Silicon Ranch Corporation to develop a large-scale solar facility on roughly 912–913 acres, subject to conditions that include a 500-foot setback from the nearest residence on the west and southwest sides, an agreement with Alabama Rivers Alliance on water-quality monitoring, a decommissioning plan, and other safety measures.

Board members and the applicant framed the decision as a compromise after several weeks of community meetings and negotiations. Matt Kisber, co‑founder and chairman of Silicon Ranch, said the company returned to the board after outreach work and emphasized the company’s community focus. Gina Brown, who leads Silicon Ranch’s community engagement, told the board the company had met with neighbors, responded to a list of concerns and “plan[ned] to enter into an MOU with Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of the Alabama River in order to engage in the water quality testing.”

Neighbors and environmental and community groups told the board they still had unanswered safety and environmental questions. Karen Bollinger and other residents pressed for larger setbacks and stronger written guarantees on cleanup and monitoring, citing concerns about stormwater runoff into local wetlands and the potential for panel damage in severe weather. Cindy Lowery, executive director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, said her group would work with the applicant and community and that, in her view, “they are gonna work with us on this MOU.”

Why it matters: The site would interconnect with Alabama Power and, according to the applicant’s presentation, represents an estimated $100 million capital investment and about $14 million in tax generation over the project’s life. Neighbors said the project would set a precedent for future solar permits in the county and voiced particular concerns about groundwater and surface-water impacts for residents on wells and about fire and emergency response capacity in the planning jurisdiction outside city limits.

Key facts and conditions
- Project scale and benefits: The applicant described a roughly 912–913 acre site to be built and operated by Silicon Ranch and interconnected to Alabama Power. The company estimated a $100 million capital investment and about $14 million in tax revenue over the life of the project.
- Setbacks: As part of the motion that passed, the board required a 500‑foot setback measured from the nearest rooftop of residences on the western boundary and the southwest corner of the site. The company indicated it had proposed varying setbacks across the site and offered to accommodate the 500‑foot buffer for residences on that boundary.
- Environmental and safety commitments: The applicant committed to (a) provide a decommissioning plan prepared by a third‑party licensed engineer (applicant representatives said full decommissioning could take up to about one year); (b) provide proof of insurance and post on‑site contact information and materials for first responders; (c) conduct pre‑ and post‑construction soil and water monitoring and to enter an MOU with Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of the Alabama River for water‑quality testing and community engagement; and (d) train volunteer fire departments within a 30‑mile radius. The company also stated it would remove solar debris from natural disasters and respond to identified site debris removal within 15 days and dispose of materials in compliance with state and federal standards.
- Permits and approvals: The applicant said it must obtain federal and state permits including wetlands permits, threatened and endangered species reviews, cultural resources review, and erosion and sediment control and stormwater permits (to be handled through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and other agencies) before construction.
- Emergency response and access: The company’s emergency response plan cited items such as fire prevention and detection, and the applicant said it would coordinate training for first responders and provide site information. Board and community discussion clarified that the site lies outside the city limits and, under current arrangements, the city fire department responds to incidents in the planning/police jurisdiction only on request via county or state authorities; annexation would change that response arrangement.

Community concerns and technical discussion
Residents and community representatives raised several recurring concerns: the proximity of panels to homes and wells, stormwater runoff and possible effects on wetlands (notably Caney Creek and nearby ponds and wells), the composition of some panel types (noted concerns about thin‑film cadmium telluride panels and recycling/abatement), emergency response capacity in the planning jurisdiction, and the precedent set by prior tax abatements and approvals. Opponents asked for a postponement to allow more written commitments and clarifications; the applicant replied that many commitments had been made and that setbacks remained the central unresolved item.

Quotations from meeting participants
- “We listen, we learn, and we respond,” Matt Kisber said about the company’s community process.
- Gina Brown (Silicon Ranch): “We plan to enter into an MOU with Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of the Alabama River in order to engage in the water quality testing.”
- Cindy Lowery (Alabama Rivers Alliance): “We believe they’re doing right, and they are gonna work with us on this MOU.”
- From the applicant’s draft emergency plan (read during public comment): responders are advised to “allow the fire to burn itself out” in certain electrical‑fire situations; applicant environmental staff explained this language is aimed at protecting first responders and that other parts of the plan emphasize containment measures and coordination with trained personnel.

Vote and outcome
The board approved the special exception motion with conditions (motion and second are not identified by name in the transcript). The vote as recorded on the record: 5 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain. The board chair announced the motion carried and the application approved subject to the stated conditions and further documentation to be submitted by the applicant.

What’s next
The applicant must complete required state and federal permitting (wetlands, threatened and endangered species review, cultural resources, erosion and sediment control, stormwater permits) and finalize written agreements documented for the record (the MOU with Alabama Rivers Alliance, the decommissioning plan and the emergency/first‑responder training schedule). Community members asked the board for additional written clarifications on cleanup responsibilities for debris that crosses property lines after a natural disaster; applicant representatives stated they would clarify that language and that debris would be identified and removed at the applicant’s expense and disposed of consistent with applicable state and federal requirements.

Ending note
Board members and the applicant described the approval as a negotiated compromise after community meetings; neighbors said they would continue to press for precise written commitments and monitoring if construction proceeds.