(La Porte County, IN) - A proposed solar energy farm in La Porte County is dead, at least for now.

 

The La Porte County Board of Zoning Appeals has voted against plans for a solar farm on hundreds of acres of farmland in the far southeast part of the county.  The Tuesday night decision not to grant Hoosier Solar a special exception to the current agricultural zoning was unanimous.

 

La Porte County Commissioner Steve Holifield supports the decision but feels it could be challenged in a courtroom.  He doesn’t want La Porte to become like some of the surrounding counties that already have thousands of solar panels.

 

“I don’t want La Porte County to look like Starke and Pulaski which has 55,000 acres of those things.  It’s not good for anything,” he said.

 

His other concerns include taking more farmland out of production.

 

Hoosier Solar wanted to install solar panels in the area of Indiana 104 near the St. Joseph County line.

“I look for them to sue us just because they didn’t get their way,” Holifield said.