A lease agreement between the city and Edelen Renewables was on the cusp of final approval last week as the council neared consensus on the Haley Pike Landfill solar project, but the delayed deal ran into another complication.
Members of the Lexington Model Airplane Club, which has invested thousands of dollars on a nearby facility including a 650-foot paved runway, raised concerns about being displaced.
In response, the city council opted to hit pause for a third time on the deal, moving the next vote to March 26. But Richard Young with CivicLex notes there is no guarantee a satisfactory agreement for all parties may come in time.
"It is a little bit unclear if that can be reached," he says. "The clock is really ticking because the federal tax credits that enable this project are going to expire pretty soon thanks to the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' act and so they're really coming up against the wire here."
Edelen Renewables has said construction needs to start by July in order to take advantage of those sunsetting tax credits.