Norwood board approves 3.3 MW solar array on capped Winter Street landfill with conditions

The Board of Appeals of the Town of Norwood voted Feb. 11 to grant a special permit for a solar photovoltaic facility on the Winter Street landfill, approving a fenced, ground‑ballasted array that the applicant says will produce about 3.3 megawatts DC and supply electricity under a 25‑year power‑purchase agreement to the Norwood Municipal Light Department.

Atlantic Design Engineers’ Brendan Riali and Asa Smith presented the proposal on behalf of TES Winter Street Solar 23 LLC. The project site comprises four parcels totaling roughly 39.3 acres; the proposed fenced array would occupy about 9.93 acres on the capped solid‑waste area. Presenters said the array uses ground‑ballasted racking (concrete blocks) to avoid penetrating the landfill cap, requires no tree clearing or grading, and will interconnect to the grid using existing overhead lines north of the landfill. CDM Smith is the ongoing operations/monitoring contractor for the capped landfill, and project materials note that parts of the property are inside a FEMA AE flood zone and…