Planning Board raises concerns about scope and wording of proposed solar‑moratorium local law

Planning Board members reviewed a draft local law proposing a temporary moratorium on certain solar energy uses and identified multiple areas needing clarification before the Town Board’s public hearing.

Members said the current draft’s language, as written, could be read to include residential solar arrays that export power to the grid. One member noted, "the way it's written sort of technically uh exposes residential solar arrays to this moratorium, which I don't think this would be the intent." Board members asked the town attorney to revise the language to exclude typical residential rooftop installations or to otherwise make the scope explicit.

Several members also urged a clear hardship or waiver application process rather than a blanket waiver provision. "You can't just have a waiver provision. You need to have an application process to be able to have hardship applications," a member said.

The board discussed whether the moratorium should explicitly prohibit tree clearing or land‑disturbing activity connected to solar farm construction during the moratorium period; several members said that point should be spelled out to avoid unintended clearing before the law takes effect. One board member raised a policy tension: the town is considering participation in NYSERDA's 'stretch to zero' program to encourage electric building standards while also pausing new solar‐farm approvals. "It just seems counterproductive," the member said.

The board asked staff (Stacy and the chair) to draft a comment letter for submission to the Town Board ahead of that body's public hearing and to circulate the draft to the planning board chair for review.

Next steps: planning staff will prepare and circulate recommended comments to the Town Board for consideration at its public hearing.