Neighbors approve final designs for first three Solar Neighborhoods
- Each neighborhood designed their own landscaping, which include blend of ornamental trees, perennials, urban agriculture and wildflower meadows
- Construction to begin Spring 2025
After months of meetings and discussions, residents in all three Phase One Solar Neighborhoods have approved the designs for their solar arrays, which will start construction in Spring 2025, Mayor Mike Duggan announced today.
At a gathering of residents from each of the three areas, the Mayor shared final landscape designs for each of the neighborhoods that were driven by community input. The exterior designs include attractive exterior fencing, shrubbery, and in one case, raised garden beds. Inside the solar arrays – between and beneath the rows of solar panels – will be either a manicured meadow or urban farms. The practice of using the land beneath solar arrays for agriculture is called, “agrivoltaics.”
The Gratiot/Findlay, Van Dyke/Lynch, and State Fair neighborhoods were selected last year to host the first three arrays as part of Phase 1 of the Solar Neighborhood initiative. Together, the three neighborhoods will comprise 104 acres of solar arrays, as part of Mayor Duggan’s commitment to generate enough clean energy to power 127 city municipal buildings. Their selection followed months of extensive community engagement.
“These landscape designs have been a completely community-driven process, giving residents in each neighborhood the ability to create the look and feel they want,” said Mayor Duggan. “From the very beginning, we have let residents tell us what they want and what they didn’t want. That’s why this process has been so successful.”
- Gratiot/Findlay will use a combination of decorative fencing, evergreen and ornamental trees along with perennial plantings as a buffer. Residents chose to include agrivoltaics within the solar array.
- Van Dyke/Lynch also will incorporate decorative fencing and a mix of evergreen and ornamental trees as a buffer, as well as perennial gardens and raised beds at key points. Within the solar array, residents chose to have a manicured meadow of wildflowers and other plants.
- State Fair will incorporate numerous perennial planting areas, along with evergreen and ornamental trees outside a decorative fence as a buffer. Inside the solar array will be a perimeter of manicured meadows surrounding a core of agrivoltaics
"I really enjoyed the design planning meetings because it allowed the neighbors and me to make decisions regarding the way the solar fields are going to be designed," said Van Dyke/Lynch neighborhood resident Haley Henley. "I felt like that my input was valuable. I am proud to know that when the solar fields are complete, I can say that I had a part in creating it."
On Track for Spring Construction
The Mayor also announced that the city is on track for a Spring 2025 start of construction. Demolition of 95 homes (most of which already had been vacant) has begun and is expected to be completed prior to the start of construction.
“This has been a remarkably smooth and efficient process that has had community buy-in from the very beginning,” said Mayor Duggan.
Phase 2 neighborhoods coming soon
“It is exciting to see progress on this project, which will make our city more sustainable and erase the blight many in some neighborhoods have endured for a long time,” said Councilmember Scott Benson. “Moving forward with more than 100 acres of solar arrays that will produce renewable energy while at the same time improving the homes in the area is a win-win for the city and for the residents of these neighborhoods. This type of collaborative and community-driven process has provided an excellent result for everyone.”
The Mayor said that in January, his administration will recommend to City Council two more neighborhoods from the 8 finalists for Phase 2 of the Solar Neighborhood project, allowing the City to build out the rest of the solar acreage needed to produce a total of 33 megawatts of renewable energy.
Lightstar Renewables, one of the nation’s leading solar developers, has been selected to build 61 acres of solar fields in the Gratiot/Findlay and State Fair neighborhoods in Phase 1. DTE Electric Company, which is operating more than 30 solar fields across Michigan – the largest being 250 acres in Lapeer – has been selected to build the 43-acre solar field in the Van Dyke/Lynch neighborhood.