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Developer wins planning-board recommendation for Broadway 3 solar array on closed landfill
Summary
The Village of Depew Planning Board recommended the Village Board accept site plans for a 4.4 MW AC solar array on a closed landfill (Broadway 3) with conditions requiring snow-plowing, mowing, and hands-on fire training; the developer said the project includes no batteries and presented a tax projection using the New York State solar calculator.
Jim Bodicker, representing National Energy Development and the project company listed in the application, told the Village of Depew Planning Board on July 2 that Broadway 3 is the third phase of landfill-mounted solar projects for properties at Broadway, Elizabeth and Victoria Boulevard. He described a roughly 17‑acre site, a 4.4 MW AC array and an estimated construction completion window in late 2027.
Bodicker said the project will be developed in partnership with New Energy Equity and stressed the design contains no batteries. "There's no batteries in the project," he said, adding that remote monitoring, routine mowing and snow removal plans are part of operations. He also said taxes generated by the array were calculated using a New York State solar renewable-energy calculator and that the presented projection came to about $270,000 in the 25‑year forecast shown to the board.
Technical staff and board members pressed the developer on grounding and support systems over the landfill cap and on emergency access. A representative from Carmina/Carmine Wood Design explained the inverter equipment is sited at an equipment pad adjacent to the road rather than distributed through the field, and the design team said previous inverter failures were the result of a manufacturer defect that required replacements.
Legal counsel Jeff Palumbo told the board the project is a Type II action under state environmental review because it involves less than 25 acres and therefore does not require a further environmental review. Bodicker said the project company will post a decommissioning bond "to be determined" so the village could restore the site if needed.
The board voted 4–0 to recommend the Village Board accept the site plans with three stipulations: roads on the property must be plowed after 3 inches of snow, grass must be cut when it reaches 10 inches, and the Depew Fire Department must receive hands-on training on the site prior to operation. The board’s motion followed requests from code enforcement and the fire department for clear emergency access and site training.
The Planning Board’s recommendation will go to the Village Board for final action; the project team said it is prepared to address engineering comments and coordinate further permitting with code enforcement and the fire department.
