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Neighbors present alternate view‑shed study and press for a positive SECRA declaration
Summary
Residents and counsel presented a competing visual‑impact analysis, argued the applicant's materials understate visibility (including public roads and adjacent homes), and urged the planning board to issue a positive environmental declaration and require further mitigation study.
Neighbors' counsel Raya Mallett and her technical team presented an alternate view‑shed study that, they said, shows greater visibility from public vantage points including State Route 82, Patts Road, Poolesville Road and Cottontail Road. Mallett cited the town's solar law and comprehensive plan as reasons to require more rigorous screening and to treat the application as potentially significant under SECRA.
Mallett said their analysis found visibility across a larger acreage and stressed the town code requires plantings that achieve maximum screening within five years and that on‑site poles should be buried unless a legal waiver is appropriate. "The solar farm is visible from State Route 82, Pat's Road, Poole Road, Skyline, and even Cottontail once the vegetation is not there," she said, urging the board to order further technical review.
Residents who spoke at the microphone echoed concerns about scenic character and tourism impacts; one business owner, Jeff Baker, described investments in local tourism that he warned could be harmed by visible panels. The board agreed to commission independent reviews to evaluate competing methodologies and mitigation proposals before moving forward.
