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Fenton board reviews Palmer Hill solar project status as Bullrock pursues litigation in neighboring town
Summary
Town officials said they have ongoing open items with Bullrock on a proposed Palmer Hill Road solar facility, noted a related lawsuit in Colesville, and raised concerns that state-level siting decisions by ORES may override local codes.
During the May 6 meeting Supervisor David Gunster updated the board on solar-energy developments affecting the region and a local proposal on Palmer Hill Road, saying the town has completed internal reviews and is awaiting responses from the developer Bullrock.
Gunster told the board he learned at a recent Association of Towns (AOT) meeting that Bullrock has sued the Town of Colesville, where the town has enacted a six-month moratorium on solar facility development while it drafts a local solar law. He also relayed concern—expressed by local media and others—that the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) has in some cases made siting decisions that appear to override municipal codes without local input.
"We have had a number of internal reviews of the Solar Energy Facility planned for Palmer Hill Road. There are still open items that need to be addressed by Bullrock, and we are waiting for feedback from them," Gunster said. The town did not record any new permit decisions or approvals at the May 6 meeting; board members said they would monitor developments and await the developer’s responses to outstanding questions.
Board members also noted correspondence from area legislators raising transparency questions about ORES decisions. The record shows the town previously passed a resolution expressing concern about Albany-level actions on solar and battery-storage siting. The board said it will keep the community updated as the review continues and as any legal or permitting developments are reported.
