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County planners outline conditions and reviews for proposed 5 MW Albany Road solar project
Summary
Staff recommended modified local approval for a 5-megawatt solar project in Selkirk, asking the town to involve the fire department, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (Article 15 protections), and the Albany County Department of Public Works for highway work permits; applicants said DEC and DOT contacts are engaged.
Albany County Planning Department staff told the county planning board on Nov. 20 that Albany Road Solar LLC has applied for subdivision, site plan review and a special use permit to allow a 5-megawatt solar project on a lot to be created from a 96.5-acre parcel at 57 South Albany Road in Selkirk.
Staff recommended the board modify its opinion to a local approval conditional on several items: notifying the local fire department to assess public-safety and emergency-services access and water availability; review by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation under Article 15 (protection of waters) to determine regulatory jurisdiction for potential stream impacts; and a highway work permit from the Albany County Department of Public Works for driveway construction, drainage and public utility connections within the county right of way.
Applicants and board members discussed technical site details during the meeting. The project site crosses an Albany city waterline and the applicant team confirmed they have provided plans and easement documentation to the City of Albany water authority and are coordinating with DEC and DOT for permits. Board members and staff noted that site plan review will later provide greater detail on circulation, erosion controls and other conditions.
No county-level final approval was recorded in the transcript; staff's recommendation and a set of conditions were discussed and will be part of the local review and permitting process.
Next steps: staff recommended the town and applicant complete the listed reviews (fire department, DEC Article 15, and Albany County DPW permitting) and return with the additional documentation during site plan review or local approval proceedings.
