BZA Meeting 6/11/2026

The Buckingham County Board of Supervisors held a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on June 11, 2026, primarily focused on a legal dispute regarding the validity and extension of a special use permit (SUP 22 SUP 299) issued to Riverstone Solar LLC for a 149.5 megawatt solar energy facility. The key procurement-related issue was whether the building permit application deadline, originally set for February 28, 2024, was automatically extended under Virginia Code 15.2-2209.1 due to statutory provisions enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The zoning administrator and county attorney supported the interpretation that the permit remained valid due to the statutory extension, while appellants challenged this, arguing the permit was null and void as the extension did not apply to permits granted after July 1, 2020. The meeting included detailed legal presentations, public comments from affected residents expressing concerns about the solar project’s impact, and a discussion of the statutory language and legislative intent. No final vote or decision was recorded in the transcript, but the board engaged in clarifying questions to legal counsel regarding the interpretation of the statute and the burden of proof in the appeal.