A truck passes a road sign showing directions to Groveland Mine Ponds. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

VULCAN — After months of deliberation, Groveland Mine Solar is moving closer to receiving all of the local zoning permits needed for its 429-acre project.

Norway Township Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday upheld a Planning Commission decision to issue a permit for the solar farm.

The permit in Norway Township follows the project receiving a zoning permit earlier this summer from Sagola Township. The project still needs approval from Felch Township.

Monday’s meeting in Vulcan was a continuation of an appeal filed by Rene and Laura Skrumbellos, who own property near the site.

“Groveland Mine Solar is good for the community and good for local jobs,” Circle Power CEO Jordan Roberts said in a press release. “I want to thank the local officials in Norway Township for giving careful consideration to a project that will revitalize an abandoned industrial site and turn it into something that benefits the Upper Peninsula.”

The permit was passed by the appeals panel 2-1 with Shannon Unrein casting a no vote.

Compared to a Sept. 5 public hearing where the appeal was tabled, the crowd Monday was smaller and many people spoke in favor of the 120-megawatt project.

Mike Anderson, a Kingsford resident, said his family’s camp is just a few hundred yards from the proposed site. “I’m a big hunter and fisherman so the project caught my attention. I recreate on that land all the time,” he said.

Anderson said he sees both pros and cons, but he’s “willing to bite the bullet” as a property owner. “We have a climate crisis going on … I thought probably it would be a good idea,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing for public schools and other public resources in the area.”

According to the company, visitors to the Groveland Ponds and other nearby fishing and hunting habitats will have the same access as today.

The panels will be sited on land that has been closed to motorized traffic for decades.

Eric Wickman of Felch addressed those in attendance, citing legal code that would seem to allow new evidence and comments. By the end of the meeting, however, no new material was accepted into the record.

In May, company officials estimated a labor budget of $20 million for construction of the solar farm. Overall, it will require an investment of roughly $200 million, depending on market and economic conditions.

The next step for those against the project could be a circuit court appeal. Felch Township also has to approve the portion of the project within its boundaries.

The developer has offered a $12.4 million property tax guarantee to Felch, Norway, and

Sagola townships should the full project be completed. If tax rates increase in the

future, or if the project costs more to build than Circle Power’s estimates, local governments would receive more than the amounts guaranteed in the contracts. The property tax guarantee commits Groveland Mine Solar to a minimum payment stream to Dickinson County, the townships, and North Dickinson County and Norway-Vulcan Area schools,

The two zoning permits that have been approved would allow the project to move forward in brownfield areas left behind by the former open pit iron ore mine. Norway Township comprises the tailings of the former mine and a portion of the abandoned plant area. Sagola Township contains a portion of the former mine’s waste rock piles.

The proposed Felch Township footprint is located on more of the former mine’s abandoned

plant area and waste rock piles that are privately owned and have been closed to public access for over 40 years.

In all three townships, the zoning permits define the footprint where the project could be constructed. Given further regulatory approval, it might start in 2025 and go online in 2026 or 2027.

Jim Paul can be reached at 906-774-2772 ext. 229 or at jpaul@ironmountaindailynews.com.