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Developers say 28 test holes, up to 8 feet deep, were standard geotechnical work
Summary
Project representatives told the BZA that SunTribe/TerraForm used ~4-inch screw piles and pneumatic hammers to perform geotechnical lateral-load testing at 28 locations, with some holes reported up to eight feet deep; company reps said those test holes would not be reused in final construction.
Company representatives told the Board the test program was designed to sample typical subgrade conditions across the proposed panel field and to inform a design that will meet the project’s lifespan requirements. Tyler Dick, permitting manager for SunTribe EPC, said the test holes were "created solely to inform the structural characteristics of the final design" and that "there were 28 test locations."
Marcus Grimes (SunTribe EPC) described the test method as a screw‑pile driven by skid‑steer attachment—"approximately four inches wide, and 60 inches long"—with removal and lateral-load measurement. Where the screw could not penetrate rock, crews used a rock drill and air compressor to clear rock dust; that pressurized air, the company said, can create visible plumes. Mr. Dick confirmed test depths "as great as eight feet" in some locations. The company representatives stated the holes were for testing only and were not intended to be used in the final construction layout.
