Commission backs East Brighton battery storage project, forwards special-use recommendation to Common Council with safety and outreach conditions

The Syracuse Planning Commission approved three linked applications for a proposed 5-megawatt battery energy storage project at 426 East Brighton Ave.: a re-subdivision (R-25-41), a major site plan review (MASPR-25-18), and a recommendation on a special-use permit (SP-25-24) that will go to the Common Council for final action. The commission attached conditions requiring continued collaboration with the fire department and city agencies on safety and access, and the re-subdivision approval included a condition tying county filing to Common Council action on the special-use permit.

Terrence Nolan of New Leaf Energy summarized the project’s purpose and siting, saying the batteries are sited near an existing National Grid substation to provide local grid resiliency. "These batteries have the capacity each to power approximately 3 to 3,500 homes each," Nolan said, describing the systems as 5-megawatt installations with four-hour duration and the ability to be dispatched during peak demand. Nolan said the project would participate in NYSERDA incentives to deploy batteries for grid resiliency and that the applicant had received a National Grid interconnection study indicating a feasible connection.

Adam Fischel, the civil engineer, explained the required lot split: the current roughly 0.9-acre parcel would be divided so the front lot is about 0.5 acres and the rear lot about 0.7 acres (creating two lease parcels and separate tax IDs for interconnection). Fischel described a paved access drive, an 8-foot security fence with gated access, restoration of an old curb cut and sidewalk repairs, and limited tree removal; he said the design team plans some lawn restoration to offset impervious cover and will coordinate stormwater comments with city engineering.

Safety was discussed in detail. Adam Jakobowski of the Energy Safety Response Group said state fire-code updates governing battery installations were adopted and scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 (applicants said they would voluntarily comply now). "They are scheduled to go in place on January 1," Jakobowski said of the state fire-code provisions. Nolan and the project team said the facility will include 24/7 off-site battery monitoring and an emergency response plan; the project team has provided that plan to the fire department and will continue coordination on hydrant access, turnaround for apparatus and other operational details.

Commissioners also raised neighborhood outreach and visual screening along Brighton Avenue. The applicant said staff have reached out to the adjacent property owner to the north and planned further meetings with council members and neighborhood groups. In response to a request from the Fourth District Common Councilor for more community engagement, the commission added a condition that county filing for the re-subdivision would occur within 62 days after Common Council action on the special-use permit rather than starting the 62-day clock immediately.

The commission voted to approve the re-subdivision R-25-41 and MASPR-25-18 with special conditions requiring continued coordination with city departments and fire prevention; the commission also voted to recommend approval of SP-25-24 to the Common Council with similar collaboration conditions. The Common Council holds final authority on the special-use permit and may hold its own public process before final action.