In order to install the nation’s largest solar highway project, ODOT must buy land near Beverly Beach State Park since land originally slated for the project is designated for recreation only.
In order to install the nation’s largest solar highway project, the Oregon Department of Transportation must buy land near Beverly Beach State Park since land originally slated for the project is designated for recreation only.
The solar panels are slated to occupy 7.49 acres of a 15-acre portion of the northbound rest area that was purchased in 1967 using money from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Land purchased with those funds can be used only for recreation, a restriction termed as 6F status.
“The rest area is neither a park nor a recreation destination,” said Terry Cole, a senior region planner for ODOT. “I’m pretty sure when you’re thinking of places to go on the weekend, the rest area is not on your list. It’s a designation that was sort of inappropriate for a rest area to begin with.”
Read more at OregonLive.com.
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