Local Issues

There are a few local issues for Axton Solar to keep on its radar while engaging with Henry and Pittsylvania Counties. In particular, the area’s history with clean energy projects, the Pittsylvania fire department’s role in the community, and the topic of storage.

The local fire department, PittCo agencies, plays a major role in the Pittsylvania Community. Not only should Axton Solar keep the fire department in the loop during all of the project phases, but Axton Solar should also seek opportunities to support the mission of the organization. Currently, PittCo Agencies are in need of more trained, available volunteers and updated equipment. There’s a supply and demand issue in which the current team and resources can’t keep up with the number of emergency calls. Axton Solar could partner with PittCo to support staff training, put funds towards team resources, or update technology to help streamline the call process.

There is already solar-opposition in Henry and Pittsylvania Counties. The operating project adjacent to Axton Solar has gotten negative feedback for its landscape measures and viewshed. Subsequently, some community members already have a bad impression of solar, making it more important to establish Vesper as a different, more reliable developer. Vesper will be held to even higher standards and have to work more to gain community trust.

The county anticipates the need to build a new jail, courthouse, and make major upgrades to local schools and has been viewing solar siting agreements with cash payments attached to approvals as ways to raise the necessary funds to make the investments.

In 2019, the Martinsville Council voted to begin the reversion process of redesignating itself a town within Henry County as opposed to a city under Virginia law. This process began when Martinsville determined the cost of services is outgrowing the city’s tax base and is therefore seeking to change its relationship with the county that would see some city revenues and expenditures go to the county. Most notably, the school districts would be consolidated. While this may result in efficiencies, it has been met with skepticism from the Henry County Board which voted in December 2021 to reject the “Voluntary Settlement Agreement.” This issue is ongoing, will likely result in litigation and appeals to the state government for intervention, and is consuming significant bandwidth of the Board of Supervisors in Henry County. 

The region is currently experiencing an uptick of renewable energy prospecting, particularly from solar developers. Other projects include:

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Rocky Ford Solar Energy LLC, which had to greatly reduce the acreage of the project after an initial rejection by the Zoning Board and complaints from locals such as Mountain Valley Brewery which opposed the viewshed.

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Appalachian Power’s 20MW Leatherwood Solar Farm, located off Mountain

Some county boards operate cordially, the Pittsylvania Board appears to have public and outward distrust and animosity between the members. A recent flashpoint was the firing of County Administrator David Smitherman. Commissioner Scearce publicly accused Chairman Ingram of having a vendetta list. Scearce also posted on Facebook that Ingram surprises members with votes nearly every meeting. Former-Commissioner Miller also accused Commissioner Barksdale of being a backstabber for going back on his word that he would support Miller for Commission and instead ran against him. There seems to be a pattern of distrust in the county politics.