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Springfield panel approves solar at 24 West Street pending meter relocation
Summary
The Springfield Historical Commission approved installation of 14 rooftop solar panels at 24 West Street, conditioned on relocating the electric meter and utility boxes to a less visible side location or providing confirmation from Eversource that an acceptable, less‑visible meter location will be used.
The Springfield Historical Commission on Feb. 5 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for rooftop solar at 24 West Street, but only after attaching a condition intended to reduce visual impact. The commission voted to approve installation of 14 panels and require the meter socket and utility boxes be placed behind the right‑side door or otherwise sited to minimize visibility.
Applicant Marco Cormac identified himself for the record and explained the site constraints: the existing utility meter is in the basement and the utility company had requested the shortest trench path, which would place some equipment on the elevation visible from the street. Cormac told the commission the equipment “will be behind the porch entrance” and “you'd have to really be looking for it” to see most of the hardware (Marco Cormac, verbal statement).
Commission staff read a written response from Eversource indicating its standard meter‑location requirements are not applicable inside the Springfield historic district and that field engineers “work accordingly with developers and contractors in order to find suitable meter locations that comply with these requirements.” The staff said they can provide a copy of that response to the applicant and the commission.
Several commissioners said they were comfortable approving the panel layout if the meter could be moved to a less visible location; one commissioner moved to approve the application with the condition that the meter and utility boxes be located behind the side door on the right side of the house. The motion was seconded and carried. The commission asked staff to send the applicant the Eversource contact and copy of the utility response for follow up.
The installation will not start until after the utility’s trenching window opens in April, the applicant said. The commission’s approval is conditioned on either a relocated meter or written confirmation from Eversource that an acceptable, less‑visible meter placement will be used. If Eversource or the utility contractor cannot accommodate that placement, the applicant may need to return to the commission for further review.
The commission did not provide a detailed timeline for final sign‑off beyond inspection and required follow‑up with Eversource; staff indicated they will coordinate next steps with the applicant.
