Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solar Siting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission raises wetlands, stormwater and soil-remediation questions about proposed solar siting project
Summary
Commission staff shared a three‑page letter with 14 comments for a solar siting council courtesy review, urging larger upland-review buffers, strict erosion-and-settlement controls with post‑rain maintenance, verification of stormwater computations for shorter recurrence intervals, and clarification of soil remediation plans.
At a courtesy review, commission staff summarized a draft three-page letter containing 14 comments and questions for a proposed solar siting council project. Staff urged consistency with local upland review practices (requesting at least a 75–100 ft upland review buffer rather than the 50 ft shown), restrictions on fueling and equipment staging in upland and wetland areas, and explicit erosion-and-settlement (ENS) control measures with verification that maintenance will occur after each rain event.
Staff noted the applicant is proposing to seed and otherwise enhance the agricultural field during the lease period and described an intent to remediate the top inches of soil so fields can be farmed again when panels are removed. Staff also flagged stormwater analysis: while the applicant provided 2-, 25-, 50- and 100-year, 24-hour storm computations, staff asked whether the applicant had evaluated shorter recurrence storms (1-, 5-, 10-year events) that the town prefers for local design review. Staff summarized the project claim of “zero net increase in runoff” and said the commission will seek verification.
Commissioners asked whether transmission-line construction would require wetland disturbance; staff said no wetland impacts for transmission lines were proposed at this stage. Staff said the final letter will be transmitted to the applicant’s attorney and the siting council once clarifications are received.
