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CCRPC committee approves petition letter supporting Colchester Mercier Drive solar project pending wetlands permit
Summary
The CCRPC Joint Executive and Finance Committee approved a petition letter supporting a proposed 150 kW solar array at 0 Mercier Drive in Colchester, contingent on an Agency of Natural Resources wetlands permit; the town owns the parcel and about one‑third of the array footprint lies in wetland.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Joint Executive and Finance Committee voted to approve a petition letter for a proposed 150 kilowatt solar array at 0 Mercier Drive in Colchester, contingent on state wetlands permitting.
Taylor Newton, Planning Program Manager, told the committee the project parcel is owned by the Town of Colchester and that “one‑third of the project occupies a wetland.” Newton said CCRPC staff found the proposal meets the suitability and constraints policies of the 2018 Chittenden County ECOS Plan on the condition that the Agency of Natural Resources approves the necessary wetlands permit.
Jacki Murphy, an at‑large member, said Colchester is “hopeful the project goes through” and that a great deal of local effort has gone into advancing the proposal. When asked by Mike O’Brien whether the wetland is natural or formed by past sand extraction, Newton said that historical sand extraction related to Beltline construction could be a factor and urged that ANR consider that context during permit review.
The committee approved the petition letter in a recorded motion: Jacki Murphy made the motion, Chris Shaw seconded, and the minutes record the motion as carried unanimously.
The petition letter will accompany maps and other project materials when CCRPC submits its comments; the committee noted that final siting and construction depend on the resolution of wetland permitting with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
Next steps: the CCRPC will forward the approved petition letter and supporting materials and monitor the ANR wetlands permitting process for the project.
