TIFTON — County commissioners have approved a special exception request to allow the development of a solar farm on Oakridge Church Road.

The county board of commissioners approved the petition during its March 11 meeting, allowing the 30.3-acre solar farm to be constructed on the 55.52 acre property through the special exception, which the Wholesale Light Industrial zoning would normally disallow.

Commissioners had been wary of granting the special exception at their previous meeting, feeling it would set a precedent for more ambitious propositions, but came to a unanimous agreement to accept this proposition.

Development support services director Chris Davis reported that the county planning and zoning committee had reviewed and recommended approval of the petition Feb. 8, and that applicant Nick Stein, on behalf of the property owners David and Robin Mullis, had met all application requirements and submitted a complete decommissioning plan.

The floor was opened for a public hearing to allow residents to speak on the topic, but only Stein spoke, restating his interest in building a solar farm on the property in question.