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Planning Board grants special use permit and development review for 4‑row ground‑mounted solar array at Block Island Health Services
Summary
The New Shoreham Planning Board gave a favorable decision and development‑plan findings for a four‑row ground‑mounted solar array at Block Island Health Services in the medical center zone after public hearing and testimony by the project engineer and the medical center building committee.
The New Shoreham Planning Board on May 14 found that a proposed ground‑mounted solar array for Block Island Health Services complies with zoning standards and granted the special use permit and favorable development‑plan review after a public hearing.
Project and applicants: Engineer Sergio Renzia of Renzia & Associates presented plans for four parallel rows of ground‑mounted panels on the medical center property. Ray Torrey, a member of the Block Island Medical Center building committee, attended and described site relationships. The property is in the medical center (MC) zone, and the board confirmed it is the permitting authority for ground‑mounted arrays that exceed 720 square feet.
Environmental and design measures: The proposal stays outside Coastal Resources Management Council jurisdiction by keeping the array more than 100 feet from regulated wetlands, according to the engineer’s presentation. The plans include an infiltration trench at the lower end of the arrays to manage sheet flow, stone trenches and vegetated buffers along the westerly and northerly property lines to screen adjacent properties, and additions to meet comments from the town engineer on stormwater best management practices.
Access and maintenance: Board members asked about vehicular access for maintenance and emergency response. Ray Torrey said the access road is reinforced for passenger vehicles but not for heavy equipment or fire engines; the road provides car access for maintenance but not unrestricted heavy equipment access. The plan includes coordination with the fire department on emergency access.
Public hearing and findings: The board opened the public hearing, heard the presentation, received no substantive opposition, and closed the hearing. Planning staff and the solicitor reviewed the standards in section 5.17 for ground‑mounted systems (height limits, setbacks, lot‑coverage exemptions, and landscaping/screening). The board made factual findings that the plan met those standards and voted to grant a special use permit and to approve the development plan review findings. The board also noted an additional roof‑mounted system proposed for the doctor’s office unrelated to the ground array.
Why it matters: The decision permits construction of a mid‑sized ground‑mounted solar installation at a community medical facility, incorporating on‑site stormwater treatment and visual screening measures to limit neighborhood impacts. The permits require that the project meet the conditions placed in the development review and any further details captured in the written decision.
Next steps: Staff will prepare and file the board’s written decision and any conditions; construction may proceed in accordance with those conditions and applicable building permits.
