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Landowners urge practical setbacks and stronger enforcement while some back the project
Summary
Multiple landowners and residents spoke during public comment: some supported the project as an economic opportunity, others urged enforceable planting, screening and decommissioning requirements and questioned the 1,800-foot setback and long-term tax impacts.
A succession of landowners and residents addressed the board during the public-comment period, offering both support for the proposed solar project and detailed concerns about setbacks, pollution and property taxes.
Douglas Kirk, who identified himself as a member of Smooth Family Farm, described his property as an ancestral homestead and said this proposal was a significant economic opportunity. "I'm Douglas Kirk, and I'm a member of Smooth Family Farm," he said, then explained why this siting was important to his family. Another landowner, Brian Keedis, described downstream water concerns and the possible tax effects on a sparsely populated county with a shrinking tax base; he said the 1,800-foot setback he had just heard about would force projects to use more farmland and could make projects less practical for Tilton-area farms.
Public commenters also urged the village to require concrete timelines and penalties for landscaping and screening work, to choose independent experts for studies rather than relying solely on developer-funded consultants, and to require more robust financial assurance for decommissioning (some urged cash deposits rather than bonds). Residents cited national and academic studies about property-value impacts and asked the board to weigh those findings in the local context.
The board thanked speakers and said it would take the comments into account in the redraft. Staff reminded attendees that copies of the drafting materials were available through the village clerk.
