Another Solar Project Sees A Little More Light
by Doug La Rocque
If the request by Tamarac Solar to construct a facility on a property located at 126 Brick Church Road (NYS 278) is approved, it would be the fourth commercial operation in the town. This one is proposed to be located adjacent to the facility built by Borrego Solar, now owned by Clyne Solar.
The developer was back before the Thursday, February 18 Planning Board session, hoping to get a public hearing scheduled. The issue that dominated that discussion was where the site would be visible from. That was previously identified as Windfield Lane, Bulson Road, Farm to Market Road and a parking lot at Brittonkill Central School. Site visuals were based on the fact the existing site can be seen from these locations. The developer pointed out that these visuals were either not checked or not considered when the existing site was permitted. That was echoed by Board Chair Russ Oster, who said he felt the board had to be realistic in considering the distance away from the site for visual considerations.
As to the public hearing, well not so fast. Tamarac Solar asked that it be held at the board’s March 18 meeting, but according to Board Attorney Andy Gilchrist, notifications that the planners wanted to act as lead agency on the full Environment Assessment Review had just recently been sent out to any other agencies involved in the process, and they still had two weeks or better to respond. That deadline, if passed without objection, would not allow enough time for proper notification of the hearing, so the date was tentatively set for the board’s April 1 gathering.
The new Verizon cell tower project on land at the junction of Menemsha Lane and Creek Road, was tabled at the request of the developer. Also on the agenda was the proposed Aldi’s and two fast food restaurants to be located on either side of the current Planet Fitness building.
That project, however, is back before the Town Board for consideration of use of a paper road owned by the town, as part of the proposed rear access road. The Town Board has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday, February 25 to discuss that further.
The only other action was the approval of a waiver of a subdivision request on Bellview Road involving six tenths of an acre.