Article
‘This is our way of living’: Lambert Town community against proposed solar farm
WCSC V 5|Emily Johnson|Oct 10, 2022
“We were taught to preserve the land, to respect the land, to work the land and live off the land; but we’re not taught to harm,” Thompson says. “This will harm our wetlands, our water supply, our wildlife. This is our way of living.” The area is currently zoned as a low-density residential area which does not allow the solar farm to be developed, but upcoming zoning meetings will be voting on the matter.
“We were taught to preserve the land, to respect the land, to work the land and live off the land; but we’re not taught to harm,” Thompson says. “This will harm our wetlands, our water supply, our wildlife. This is our way of living.” The area is currently zoned as a low-density residential area which does not allow the solar farm to be developed, but upcoming zoning meetings will be voting on the matter.
Members of the Lambert Town community are coming together against a proposed solar farm that they say would negatively impact their way of life.
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Residents who live near a proposed solar farm that would take up over 2,000 acres of land say it would negatively impact their way of life.
Developed by Silicon Ranch, the project, located near Walker and Wild Horse Roads, would include two 100-megawatt solar farm systems to supply solar power to the Santee Cooper grid.
Lambert Town community member Amy Brandon and her entire family live near where the proposed solar farm would be located. She is one of the individuals who have worked to inform the community about the new development
“We’re here to try and …
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Members of the Lambert Town community are coming together against a proposed solar farm that they say would negatively impact their way of life.
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Residents who live near a proposed solar farm that would take up over 2,000 acres of land say it would negatively impact their way of life.
Developed by Silicon Ranch, the project, located near Walker and Wild Horse Roads, would include two 100-megawatt solar farm systems to supply solar power to the Santee Cooper grid.
Lambert Town community member Amy Brandon and her entire family live near where the proposed solar farm would be located. She is one of the individuals who have worked to inform the community about the new development
“We’re here to try and let council become aware. They are elected officials and we count on them to do what we as a community really want them to do and right now, we have a majority, if not all people who do not want this land rezoned,” Brandon says.
Over 150 community members have signed a petition against the development with main concerns including stormwater drainage, toxic chemicals, wildlife endangerment, a loss of jobs to the timber industry, and property value.
Owning 20 acres of land in Lambert Town, Beverly Thompson says the solar farm will affect generations to come.
“We were taught to preserve the land, to respect the land, to work the land and live off the land; but we’re not taught to harm,” Thompson says. “This will harm our wetlands, our water supply, our wildlife. This is our way of living.”
The area is currently zoned as a low-density residential area which does not allow the solar farm to be developed, but upcoming zoning meetings will be voting on the matter.
Lambert Town community includes any residents who have lived in the area for decades. Deborah Thomas has lived in the community since she was 12 years old.
“We’re not against progress, but these are our homes. They’re not big mansions on the hill, but there are our homes,” Thomas says.
Used for timber harvesting, the land includes many trees, which residents also say are worried will affect the timber industry located near the area.
“We have five logging companies within our community, that’s the heart of our community,” Brandon says. “That’s the income that they get in our community with hundreds of employees, many people may lose their income.
The City of Georgetown’s next zoning meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, where community members are planning to protest the solar farm.
“Everybody moved out here to live in rural area to get away from the hustle and bustle and that’s what I enjoy about Lambert Town,” Sam Thomas, a nearby homeowner, says.