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Neighbors press commissioners over blasting, buffers and expired permits at Natick Solar hearing
Summary
At a lengthy Cranston Planning Commission hearing, the Natick Solar applicant defended changes that reduce panel count and use screw-driven foundations while abutters and attorneys raised concerns about blasting near a high-pressure pipeline, the adequacy of visual buffers in winter, an expired DEM permit renewal, and alleged undisclosed changes to the project. The commission continued the hearing to January for further review.
The Cranston City Planning Commission took up a contested preliminary-plan review for the Natick Avenue solar project, where technical revisions and longstanding neighborhood opposition dominated nearly the entire meeting.
Applicant engineers confirmed the proposed array’s output is 6.25 megawatts (AC) while previously cited 8.1 MW represented the DC rating; panel count fell from 16,200 to 14,280 due to higher-efficiency panels. The project team said they switched to a screw-driven foundation system that reduces the need for deep blasting in many parts of the site, but acknowledged limited blasting will still be required where outcrops occur.
Commissioners and residents pressed the applicant on stormwater, permitting and public-safety issues. The engineer said the controlling stormwater reports date to 2019–2020 and follow Rhode Island DEM guidance; the applicant has filed for an updated DEM permit after the prior permit recently expired and expects renewal before final plan approval. The team presented a network of stone infiltration basins and…
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