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Board readdresses request for 48‑panel solar array; resident alleges health harms
Summary
The board reexamined a conditional‑use request for a 48‑panel ground‑mounted solar array; the applicant said the system increases renewable energy, and a resident testified that solar panels are "an energy scam" that "causes cancer," prompting questions but no technical rebuttal at the hearing.
The Woodstock Development Review Board reopened TDash0058, a conditional‑use application to install a 48‑panel ground‑mounted solar array at 5250 West Woodstock Road, following a site visit earlier that day.
Peter Raymond, representing the property owner, said the project is meant "to increase the renewable energy production at the Robinson Forest" and described the proposed work as adding panels to an existing, similarly mounted array. He told the board the town plan and zoning encourage renewable energy development and that the panels would be "shielded, discreet" and match the area's character.
During public comment, resident Susie Kropcheck identified herself and strongly opposed the project, asserting that "solar is not a renewable energy. It is an energy scam, and it causes cancer and harm." Board members asked Kropcheck where she had drawn those conclusions and pressed for the basis of her claims; the hearing record shows her allegations went unsubstantiated at the meeting. A board member moved to close testimony and the board voted in favor.
The board reviewed conditional‑use criteria on record (community facilities, character, traffic, bylaws, renewable‑energy utilization) but did not render a final approval or denial at the May 26 meeting; testimony was closed for further deliberation.
