Vernon Parish lifts solar farm moratorium

Vernon Parish lifts solar farm moratorium

By Ashlyn Little

The Vernon Parish Police Jury has voted unanimously to lift its temporary moratorium on solar farm developments, officially adopting a heavily revised regulatory ordinance.

The decision came during a special call meeting on Friday, following a rapid series of revisions to Ordinance No. 9 of 2025. Just four days earlier, during their regular monthly meeting on Oct. 19, jurors tabled the amended ordinance. They did so on the advice of legal counsel and District Attorney Terry Lambright, who requested time to thoroughly review the document.

During the Oct. 23 special meeting, Lambright presented legal recommendations that were integrated into the ordinance prior to its official adoption.

“I know there’s been a lot of discussions by the jury and work by the public with regards to trying to come up with something that is livable for everybody,” Lambright said. “I looked through it with a legal perspective and put in some changes.”

The amended ordinance introduces stringent new safeguards to protect parish infrastructure and local citizens, headlined by a mandatory traffic management framework. Under the new rules, any proposed solar development must secure approval for a comprehensive traffic plan from the parish road manager before a permit can be issued. To mitigate neighborhood disruptions and prevent infrastructure damage, the policy dictates that contractors must construct and utilize temporary access roads during the construction phase whenever possible.

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Expanded setbacks: The required buffer zone along public roads was doubled from 150 feet to 300 feet, measured from the edge of the currently maintained right-of-way. Furthermore, the ordinance now mandates a setback of at least 500 feet from the property line of any private property, including residences, agricultural land, and occupied structures.

Vegetative barriers: Permitting now requires a year-round opaque vegetative barrier at least 6 feet in height, consisting of native trees and shrubs adjacent to neighboring property lines. Existing on-site vegetation may be kept if it meets these standards. Otherwise, developers must plant either a 35-foot-deep barrier of new plant material or maintain a 50-foot-deep natural barrier.

Life-of-facility warranties: All landscaping must be maintained and warrantied for the entire lifespan of the facility, with unhealthy plant material replaced immediately.

Maintenance and oversight protocols saw significant revisions, as well. Developers must submit a routine maintenance schedule covering grass cutting and landscaping upkeep. Crucially, the jury added rules governing chemical usage: any herbicide or pesticide application must include a formal justification, and chemicals unapproved for agricultural use are strictly banned from solar sites.

Acting on a recommendation from Lambright, the jury also established a dedicated enforcement section, migrating several oversight clauses out of the general maintenance plan. The new enforcement framework grants courts the authority to award court costs and attorney’s fees to the parish when ruling against non-compliant operators. Additionally, the regulations mandate that if a facility causes an adverse effect on adjoining properties during either construction or operation, the owner must actively work with the affected resident to correct the issue.

Vernon Parish resident Stacy Merchant spoke during the meeting, thanking the police jurors and Lambright for addressing the community’s concerns since the August moratorium was enacted.

“Thank you for answering my phone calls and meeting me numerous times. In my opinion, we are way better off today than we were when this process started,” Merchant said, emphasizing his attendance at the meetings was driven solely by a desire to see what is best for the parish.

Following the official adoption of the amended ordinance, Police Jury President James “Jim” Tuck reflected on the delicate balance between community protection and economic growth, acknowledging the parish’s need for new development.

“People just don’t have the money in their pockets, there’s not near as many jobs and that’s something this jury has realized is a big problem we need to address,” Tuck said. “But we’re also concerned for our citizens, and although we may not make 100 percent of them happy, we have to weigh out what’s best for the whole parish.”

The Vernon Parish Police Jury is scheduled to hold its next committee meeting at 5 p.m. Nov. 9, at 5 p.m., followed by its regular session at 10 a.m. Nov. 16. Both meetings will take place at the Parish Government Complex Building, located at 300 S. Third Street in Leesville.