Oct. 2, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette: The board of the Rockbridge Taxpayers Alliance has voted to oppose the proposed Cave Mountain Solar project in Arnolds Valley.
The project has not yet been formally filed with Rockbridge County, so detailed review must await the application. But the fundamental issue is already apparent: placing an industrialscale solar generating facility at this location appears strongly inconsistent with the land-use principles embodied in the county’s comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan should be more than an abstract statement of aspirations. It is the county’s adopted guide for decisions about the physical development of Rockbridge County, including protection of rural character, agricultural and forested lands, water resources, environmental resources, and compatible land uses.
Arnolds Valley presents those concerns in unusually concentrated form. The proposed site lies among numerous residences in a close-knit rural community. Streams cross and border the property within the James River watershed. The surrounding road network is narrow and carries seasonal recreational traffic to Cave Mountain Lake in the George Washington National Forest. The valley is also part of a scenic landscape associated with the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge.
CEP Solar proposes approximately 27 acres of solar development on a 36.8-acre A-2 parcel currently classified by the county as agricultural/undeveloped land.
As the application proceeds, RTA will examine the specific plans and supporting studies. But the threshold question should remain simple: Is this use consistent with the future Rockbridge County has already said it intends to protect and preserve?
The RTA board believes it is not. BILL RUSSELL Kerrs Creek President, Rockbridge Taxpayers Alliance
