Lottie residents explore zoning amid opposition to proposed solar projects
Residents in Lottie, Alabama, and northern Baldwin County are actively opposing proposed industrial developments, including a data center and large-scale solar projects. They held a town hall meeting to discuss concerns about environmental impacts, the targeting of unzoned rural areas, and potential solutions like zoning regulations and a countywide moratorium. Local residents are organizing and researching options to protect their communities from further industrialization.
Residents in Lottie and neighboring areas of northern Baldwin County, Alabama, held a town hall meeting to address concerns about proposed industrial-scale solar developments and related infrastructure, including a data center. Meagan Fowler, president of Friends of the Tensaw River, highlighted the rapid expansion of proposed projects, including a 3,431-acre solar site involving Rayonier and EDF Renewables, and another 1,129-acre site tied to NextEra Energy, in addition to a nearby data center. Fowler suggested developers target unzoned, unincorporated rural communities, underestimating their residents' organizational capacity and strong community ties.
Concerns raised during the meeting by Fowler and John Murphy, a Stockton resident and Friends of the Tensaw River board member, included environmental impacts such as stormwater runoff into local waterways like Pine Log Creek, Turkey Creek, and Patterson Lake from large-scale solar installations. Murphy also questioned if solar projects could pave the way for further industrialization, noting the presence of high-voltage transmission lines attracting such development.
The community is actively exploring options to protect their rural character. Discussions focused on implementing zoning regulations and a potential countywide moratorium on industrial developments, encompassing solar farms, data centers, and carbon sequestration projects. Claudia Slaughter Campbell, president of Fort Mims, acknowledged the difficulty of introducing zoning in historically unzoned communities but stressed the need for collaborative solutions. Residents continue to organize and research legal and planning strategies to counter these developments.