By Bruce Rolfe
With a developer indicating the intent to file an application to develop a solar farm in the township, the Wakeshma Township Board unanimously approved a solar ordinance 4-0 (trustee Trevor Bennett was absent) that would require notification to the township about any proposed solar project, at a special meeting October 15 in Fulton.
Wakeshma Township Supervisor Jason Gatlin said the township was notified recently by Doral that the company would likely submit an application to the township in early 2027 for what Gatlin said he could not confirm but has heard is for a 200 megawatt solar farm site in Wakeshma Township.
The Wakeshma Township Supervisor said 1600-2000 acres would be required to operate a 200 megawatt solar farm.
“We don’t know if its going to happen. We just learned there was an intent to submit an application,” said the Wakeshma Township Supervisor.
The Climax Crescent reached out to Doral but did not receive a call back.
The ordinance becomes effective 30 days after publication of the ordinance in a newspaper of general circulation in Kalamazoo County.
The Wakeshma Township Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation the township board approve the Solar ordinance at a Planning Commission special meeting and public hearing October 12.
Gatlin said the township Planning Commission has been working on a solar ordinance since 2020 and 2021.
He said the Planning Commission was prepared to approve a solar ordinance for township board consideration in June, however some changes at the State level forced the Township to remove some restrictions out of the ordinance.
Gatlin said requiring a cash bond instead of a surety bond to ensure proper cleanup, was one of the restrictions the state removed in a local ordinance.
In a June 3, 2026 memo to the Wakeshma Township Planning Commission and Wakeshma Township Board, Gatlin said if the Planning Commission would have adopted the original Solar Energy Ordinance, the ordinance would not qualify as a “Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance” (CREO), meaning the Township would lose siting authority over any solar energy facility of 50 megawatts or more proposed within its borders. He said this means developers would be able to bypass the Township entirely and obtain a site certificate directly from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) without the change in the ordinance the Township Board approved October 15.
Gatlin adds the new ordinance requires any potential solar developer to give the township notice of intention of a possible development site instead of going right to the MPSC.
“We have to be compatible with their ordinance, otherwise our ordinance becomes null and void for anything over 50 megawatts. If we didn’t have an ordinance, we wouldn’t even know these projects were happening,” explained Gatlin.
The recently approved ordinance provides safeguards such as fencing guidelines, height and lawn requirements and proper decommission removal for a site up to 50 megawatts.
The safeguards in the ordinance are not enforceable under state guidelines for any project over 50 megawatts.
However Gatlin said if the developer plans a solar project over 50 megawatts, the developer is only required to notify the township and “the township has very little say in what happens in those projects.”
Audience members were concerned about clean up responsibilities when the lifespan of the solar panels end and the decommissioning process. Or what would happen if a developer leaves or goes bankrupt.
Other concerns centered around a possible decrease in property values and additional wear and tear on local roads during the solar farm construction process.
“My concern is that our farmland is being gobbled up at an enormous rate, and Wakeshma Township is known for its crops and its farming. And I don’t want to see this area change. I moved out here for solitude, quiet, and farmland,” said Wakeshma Township resident Judi Struble, who said she has resided in the township for 28 years.
With a developer indicating the intent to file an application to develop a solar farm in the township, the Wakeshma Township Board unanimously approved a solar ordinance 4-0 (trustee Trevor Bennett was absent) that would require notification to the township about any proposed solar project, at a special meeting October 15 in Fulton.
Wakeshma Township Supervisor Jason Gatlin said the township was notified recently by Doral that the company would likely submit an application to the township in early 2027 for what Gatlin said he could not confirm but has heard is for a 200 megawatt solar farm site in Wakeshma Township.
The Wakeshma Township Supervisor said 1600-2000 acres would be required to operate a 200 megawatt solar farm.
“We don’t know if its going to happen. We just learned there was an intent to submit an application,” said the Wakeshma Township Supervisor.
The Climax Crescent reached out to Doral but did not receive a call back.
The ordinance becomes effective 30 days after publication of the ordinance in a newspaper of general circulation in Kalamazoo County.
The Wakeshma Township Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation the township board approve the Solar ordinance at a Planning Commission special meeting and public hearing October 12.
Gatlin said the township Planning Commission has been working on a solar ordinance since 2020 and 2021.
He said the Planning Commission was prepared to approve a solar ordinance for township board consideration in June, however some changes at the State level forced the Township to remove some restrictions out of the ordinance.
Gatlin said requiring a cash bond instead of a surety bond to ensure proper cleanup, was one of the restrictions the state removed in a local ordinance.
In a June 3, 2026 memo to the Wakeshma Township Planning Commission and Wakeshma Township Board, Gatlin said if the Planning Commission would have adopted the original Solar Energy Ordinance, the ordinance would not qualify as a “Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance” (CREO), meaning the Township would lose siting authority over any solar energy facility of 50 megawatts or more proposed within its borders. He said this means developers would be able to bypass the Township entirely and obtain a site certificate directly from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) without the change in the ordinance the Township Board approved October 15.
Gatlin adds the new ordinance requires any potential solar developer to give the township notice of intention of a possible development site instead of going right to the MPSC.
“We have to be compatible with their ordinance, otherwise our ordinance becomes null and void for anything over 50 megawatts. If we didn’t have an ordinance, we wouldn’t even know these projects were happening,” explained Gatlin.
The recently approved ordinance provides safeguards such as fencing guidelines, height and lawn requirements and proper decommission removal for a site up to 50 megawatts.
The safeguards in the ordinance are not enforceable under state guidelines for any project over 50 megawatts.
However Gatlin said if the developer plans a solar project over 50 megawatts, the developer is only required to notify the township and “the township has very little say in what happens in those projects.”
Audience members were concerned about clean up responsibilities when the lifespan of the solar panels end and the decommissioning process. Or what would happen if a developer leaves or goes bankrupt.
Other concerns centered around a possible decrease in property values and additional wear and tear on local roads during the solar farm construction process.
“My concern is that our farmland is being gobbled up at an enormous rate, and Wakeshma Township is known for its crops and its farming. And I don’t want to see this area change. I moved out here for solitude, quiet, and farmland,” said Wakeshma Township resident Judi Struble, who said she has resided in the township for 28 years.
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