Town board conditionally approves SR‑94 (Lightstar) solar special permit with added decommissioning language

The Town Board conditionally approved a special permit for the SR‑94 solar project (applicant Lightstar) at its Dec. 12 meeting after the planning board had issued conditional site plan approval on Nov. 17.

Board members voted to approve a draft resolution granting the special permit and agreed to add a decommissioning requirement that explicitly cover soils that may be contaminated: the resolution will require restoration of the land to its pre‑construction condition “including an adequate layer of topsoil where existing topsoil has been removed or eroded, or has been contaminated,” the board directed.

Why it matters: the decision advances a privately developed utility‑scale solar project through local approvals and attaches a precautionary decommissioning requirement to help ensure site restoration at the end of the project life.

Planning board and applicant statements

A planning board representative reported that the planning board had continued site plan review and issued conditional site plan approval at its Nov. 17 meeting. An applicant representative agreed to add the contamination language requested by board members.

Vote and next steps

The board moved, seconded and approved the draft resolution with the additional decommissioning wording. Board members recorded votes of “Aye” during the roll call. Staff and the applicant will incorporate the additional language into the final resolution and prepare the permit documentation as required by local procedures.

Ending

With conditional special‑permit approval the project advances to the remaining ministerial steps in the town’s review process; the resolution will include the added decommissioning language requested by the board.