Planning director briefs commission on development pipeline; Lodestar proposes 20‑acre solar array at 140 Knott Road

At the Sept. 9, 2025 meeting, Simsbury Planning Director George briefed the Planning Commission on the town's development project spreadsheet and several active projects, and disclosed that Lodestar has proposed a roughly 20‑acre solar array at 140 Knott Road, the former Tower Ridge Golf Course. George said the solar facility is likely to proceed through the state review process rather than local land use review.

"It is a large enough megawatt facility such that it does not have local land use review," George said, describing the project's anticipated path. "It goes straight to the Connecticut Siting Council." The town expects the applicant to file with the Siting Council in coming weeks and staff said they anticipate the possibility of a local public hearing as part of the Siting Council's process.

The solar array would occupy the northern portion of the former golf course property, which is leased by the project proponent while the landowner (recorded in the meeting as Simsbury Realty LLC) would retain ownership under the lease. The panels are described as roughly 6 to 7 feet high in place; rows would likely be oriented perpendicular to the road and face south. Staff asked Lodestar to supply photo simulations from both street level and park vantage points, and recommended additional landscape buffering and siting away from floodplain and wetland areas where feasible.

George advised that the town's expected local benefits would be limited: the array would connect to the regional distribution system rather than supplying a direct town utility load. He said tax treatment is typically negotiated with the assessor's office; equipment depreciation and negotiated agreements make solar tax assessment complex. Ownership will remain with the landowner under a lease with the solar developer, George said.

In his broader planning director report, George provided an overview of the development project spreadsheet staff maintains. That spreadsheet tracks potential, approved, under‑construction and recently completed projects and now includes additional columns requested by the Board of Finance: grand list and tax assumptions and estimated student generation for residential projects. He said the spreadsheet will be updated quarterly and distributed to land use boards.

Project updates given to the commission included: - Luminary: Permits are in hand for multiple buildings and the clubhouse; first occupancy is expected in spring 2026. - Vessel (an unconventional construction product): Construction is paused at foundation stage while the developer and the town, fire marshal and state building official resolve design and code waivers; the project lacks a full building permit pending those resolutions. - Dorset Crossing/Caster Bridge Crossing: Two separate buildings of about 72 units each are proposed for the west end of the project and may be built separately. - Wagner Ford site (Dorset Crossing area): A hotel proposal is moving through design review and wetlands coordination; site access will be from Dorset Crossing Boulevard and the project team expects to advance to site plan review.

George also briefed the commission on staff plans to pre‑engage third‑party consultants on an on‑call basis for complex projects (traffic, wetlands, environmental experts) to avoid timeline delays from individual procurement and RFPs. He said the town expects to use that approach for projects requiring specialist review, particularly large subdivisions or projects triggering the town's "complex project" thresholds.

Staff told the commission that the zoning regulation rewrite process is moving forward: the zoning commission has shortlisted three consultants and will receive consultant presentations on Oct. 6, 2025, with the goal of selecting a consultant and beginning substantive work in November 2025. The planning commission's review and education will be scheduled throughout the anticipated 18‑month rewrite process.

On implementation of the neighborhood plan (the "Tarafel" work referenced in the meeting), staff plans a public workshop with neighborhood stakeholders targeted for Oct. 14, 2025, to prioritize recommended implementation items based on feasibility and funding. George said the town will return prioritized items to decision makers who control funding.

Finally, staff reported they are preparing an updated affordable housing submission due in January 2026. George said staff will provide a draft for commission review in late fall and will use data collected during the POCD process to inform the update.

No formal planning commission action was taken on the solar proposal at this meeting; staff outlined comments and requested materials they plan to submit to the Connecticut Siting Council record if and when the application is filed.