Brookfield Zoning Board Approves Variance for Solar Array at 244 Governors Road

The Brookfield Zoning Board of Adjustment on Thursday voted to grant a variance that will allow a solar array at 244 Governors Road after finding the application met the five required variance criteria and attaching conditions to limit visual impacts. Applicant Jennifer Haggitt presented the proposal and financial documentation at a public hearing and a subsequent site visit.

Board members said they were persuaded by Haggitt’s testimony that portions of the lot are wetlands and otherwise unusable, and that only the location she proposed would yield sufficient year-round sunlight. "We were pretty much hoping that it was gonna be just like a switch," Haggitt told the board, arguing the panels must be sited where they will be productive. She provided receipts and loan documents and said she had already paid a $1,500 utility deposit for transformer and permit evaluation and roughly $36,000 toward equipment purchased from SR Solar New Hampshire.

The board framed the decision around the zoning ordinance’s five variance criteria. Chair (S1) led a line-by-line finding: the board concluded granting the variance would not be contrary to the public interest; the spirit of the ordinance could be observed if the applicant implements screening; the relief provided substantial justice to the owners; surrounding property values would not be diminished; and the parcel’s special physical conditions create an unnecessary hardship that prevents full compliance with setback requirements.

Board members pressed for clear mitigation language. Several members urged specifying the species, height and spacing for the screening evergreens so the plantings provide effective obstruction from the road. Board member (S7) noted previous approvals that lacked clear planting metrics and recommended requiring a minimum height and density. Haggitt said she plans to plant cedars and hemlocks ordered through the New Hampshire forestry program and provided growth expectations, saying the cedars are expected to exceed 12 feet within five years; she also offered to supply species and growth documentation.

Haggitt described the project as part of retirement planning. "It's my husband and I trying to plan for our retirement," she said, adding that the 15-year loan will be reduced by a 30 percent federal tax credit she estimated at about $16,000, allowing an accelerated payoff and lower future bills.

After discussing mitigation and confirming no board member had a conflict of interest, the board moved through formal motions to find each criterion satisfied and approved the variance with the stipulations that the board identified on the record (including site screening with specified evergreen type, height and density). The board then voted to accept the hearing outcome and closed the hearing.

The vote was taken by voice; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the hearing minutes. The board indicated staff will notify the applicant about next steps for permits and implementation.

The zoning action allows Haggitt to proceed with the solar array subject to the screening and any permitting conditions required by the town and utility.