The Simple Question York County Hasn't Answered

Jun 4
2 min read

On May 9, 2024, York County's Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously voted 5-0 that solar panel manufacturing is not permitted in a Light Industrial district.

After that decision:

York County sent the BZA ruling directly to Silfab.
Silfab acknowledged the decision and met with County officials to discuss its implications.
Silfab and its landlord then sought mediation through a process reserved for parties whose property is directly affected by a BZA decision.
Even though no court order paused or overturned the BZA ruling, project approvals continued to move forward.

Yet one critical question remains:

Where is the zoning compliance approval required by York County's ordinance?

The records reviewed by Move Silfab show:

A zoning verification letter, which County staff later described as "not a permit or permission."
Permit approvals that specifically state they are not zoning compliance approvals.
Public statements that appear inconsistent regarding what approvals were issued and what they mean.

Show Us the Approval

For more than two years, residents have been told that everything was done properly.

The answer should be simple.

Produce the zoning compliance approval required by ordinance, or explain why permits were issued without it.

Review the Complete Record

This summary highlights the key issues, but the underlying record tells the full story.

The document below contains the timeline, correspondence, permit records, public statements, ordinance references, and supporting documentation that form the basis for the questions raised on this page.

We encourage residents, elected officials, members of the media, and anyone interested in this issue to review the record for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

The question is simple:

Where is the zoning compliance approval required by ordinance?