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Committee extends solar lease payment schedule amid questions about county land debt
Summary
The committee approved a second amendment to a sublease and easement with Bellemeade Depot Solar LLC to push a lease payment date because construction and a court settlement delayed the project; residents asked why the township has carried long-term debt on the county-held land and demanded more financial detail.
Hillsborough Township’s committee on March 10 approved a second amendment to the land sublease and easement with Bellemeade Depot Solar LLC that adjusts the payment schedule because project construction and legal settlement timelines have shifted.
Officials said the solar developer cannot be billed until the solar field is built and that delays stemming from a multi-party settlement and a longer-than-expected remedial action process have pushed the start of payments. “We can’t expect them to pay it until it’s billed,” the town attorney said during the discussion, describing the amendment as a modest timing change to accommodate the project’s revised schedule.
Residents raised concerns about the township’s long-term financial exposure tied to the county-owned parcel. “You leased $19,000,000 worth of land from the county, and you’re leasing it to a private business for less rent,” one resident said, asking whether lease revenue will match or cover the debt service. Officials said the leased area is a relatively small portion of the whole parcel, that the township cannot take full possession until environmental cleanup (LSRP) sign‑offs are complete, and that rental income was not expected to fully retire the county loan.
The committee clarified that the project originally proposed a larger solar array that was later reduced after state review; the current plan is a smaller community solar project designed to produce credits for eligible residents. The resolution authorizes an amended payment timeline — for example, moving a payment from January 2027 to July 2027 to align with construction milestones — rather than altering the underlying lease economics.
The amendment was approved as part of the consent agenda (items 1–14) on a unanimous roll call. Several residents asked for additional transparency, including attaching the lease or settlement documents to the public resolution where feasible; the committee advised residents to follow up with the clerk’s office and finance staff for detailed statements and referenced a recently approved settlement that helped the project proceed.
The committee recorded no additional votes on project financing at this meeting; staff said final lease terms, payment schedules, and remedial actions will be reflected in subsequent project documents and that the township will continue to report relevant trust and debt information in its financial statements.
