What should Wise County landowners check before discussing a battery site?

Find out what the entrance permission actually establishes

The driveway permit linked from the County Engineer page is for access driveway facilities on county right-of-way. It says the permission is based on the applicant’s sworn assertion of a private right of access. The county does not determine whether that assertion is correct simply by issuing the permit.

If the proposed battery entrance crosses another property or follows an existing easement, locate the recorded document. Ask your adviser to compare the rights granted with the company’s proposed deliveries, operating access and improvements. A driveway permit should not be used as proof that a neighbor has agreed to the route.

The form also says the permission does not convey a private interest in the county right-of-way. Identify the public-road work and the private access rights separately. The company needs to explain how its entire route would work, from the road to the equipment area.

Before signing an application, establish who should be the applicant and what responsibilities you would accept. The posted driveway form places construction costs, maintenance and other obligations on the applicant. Your land agreement should make the company’s responsibilities clear as well.

Reference: Wise County: access driveway permit · Wise County: County Engineer and current permit links

Look closely at an existing shared residential driveway

Some Wise County land is reached by a shared driveway rather than by independent road frontage. The posted development rules have a specific Shared Access Driveways section with conditions for qualifying lots, recorded easements, maintenance and emergency access.

That section discusses lots restricted by plat notes to one single-family residence per lot. If your route was established under those provisions, do not assume it can serve a different development without further review. Ask the company and your adviser to examine the plat, easement and restrictions for the actual lots involved.

The reviewed provisions call for recorded rights and a stated share of future maintenance or repair obligations. Find those documents before promising the company access. Agree how additional construction traffic, entrance changes and operating use would be addressed with the other owners.

Show any separate road frontage the property has and whether a new entrance is being considered. The company should compare a proposed route with the rights and approvals it can actually obtain. This guide does not decide that a particular shared driveway is suitable or that a new entrance will be approved.

Reference: Wise County: posted development rules, amended through February 10, 2025

Ask what has been checked beyond the familiar flood map

The commercial and other development provisions in the posted rules direct the developer to coordinate with Wise County Watershed Operations and Maintenance about inundation limits associated with certain flood-control structures or dams. The provisions also address an engineering breach analysis when one has not already been performed.

Ask the company whether that review applies to its proposal, which structures were considered and what documentation is available. This is a separate question from identifying the site on a FEMA flood map. An answer about one review should not be presented as completion of every water-related check.

The county’s floodplain application asks for the project location and a description of the work. Its activity list includes clearing, fill, grading, excavation, drainage improvements and road construction. Have the company identify the whole proposed scope, including work outside the fenced battery area.

The form separates the administrator’s floodplain determination from any additional documents, permit decision and later compliance review. Ask for the findings that cover the actual layout. A submitted application or an early map does not establish that the work has been approved.

Discuss how findings could change the equipment area, entrance or land you can retain. Decide who commissions and pays for any needed study. You do not need to obtain a new engineering analysis before making an initial inquiry to Sunland.

Reference: Wise County: posted development rules, amended through February 10, 2025 · Wise County: floodplain development application and review stages

Settle the road-work obligations before construction

The county’s roadway safety and preservation standards address drainage in ditches, restoration of damaged property and avoiding interference with existing utilities. They also call for private-property ingress and egress to be maintained. Ask how the company will keep your home, fields and other retained land accessible during the proposed work.

The standards contain traffic-control and utility-installation requirements. Ask the company to identify the design, contractor, permission and inspection steps for a road crossing or work within county right-of-way. The applicable engineering should be prepared for the actual installation; this guide does not prescribe a trench depth or crossing design.

The reviewed standards put certain repair responsibilities on the company and describe future utility relocation at the utility company’s expense when required for road work. Establish which entity will own the installation and handle those obligations after the construction contractor leaves.

The driveway permit separately addresses county inspection, maintenance, approved alterations and its permission period. Have the company track those conditions and coordinate any change to the entrance. Do not assume an issued permission stays effective indefinitely if the project is delayed.

In your agreement, identify who repairs the driveway, gates, fences, drainage and road damage caused by the project. Also address the end of the project: equipment removal, restoration and responsibility if the company changes owners. Road-work requirements do not replace those commitments to you.

Reference: Wise County: roadway safety and preservation standards · Wise County: access driveway permit

Confirm the review route for the proposed land arrangement

The current download from the county document directory lists development-rule amendments through February 10, 2025. Its commercial and other development article distinguishes platting, driveway and on-site sewage requirements. Ask Development Services how that article and any newer requirements apply to a proposed battery site.

If the company wants to buy part of your tract or change a recorded lot, give the authority the actual proposed arrangement. Ask whether a plat or other review is required and what remains before the transaction or work can proceed. The fact that one requirement does not apply should not be treated as a blanket exemption from the others.

Confirm whether the property is inside a municipality or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The posted rules refer to different authority questions for those locations. A Decatur or Bridgeport mailing address alone is not enough to identify the reviewing office for the parcel.

The plat process page describes staff review, recommendations, Commissioners Court approval and filing by the owner or developer. Ask the company to identify the stage it has actually reached. A staff recommendation, an approved plat and permission to start particular construction are different records.

For the initial county routing, the current Engineer page lists (940) 273-7289. The plat process page directs development questions to (940) 627-9332. Confirm the responsible office for the issue and ask the company to retain its written guidance.

Finally, establish what remains in the electrical connection process. County review, an entrance or a nearby line does not prove available grid capacity. Ask how outstanding studies and approvals affect the proposed option period, payments and timing.

Reference: Wise County: posted development rules, amended through February 10, 2025 · Wise County: County Engineer and current permit links · Wise County: plat submittal process

Start the conversation with the details you already know

Use the form on this page to send Sunland your contact information and Wise County property location. An address, parcel reference or map location is useful. Tell us which part of the land you would consider and how it is reached today.

Mention shared driveways, known easements, drainage concerns, nearby flood-control structures and any existing land agreement. Tell us which buildings, entrances and uses you want to retain. If another company has approached you, describe where that discussion stands.

You do not need to apply for a driveway permit, commission a study or prepare a plat to make the inquiry. Sending the form does not authorize entry or construction and does not commit you to lease or sell. We can begin with your information and discuss the checks needed for a particular proposal.

Reference: Wise County: County Engineer and current permit links · Wise County: plat submittal process