Cicero considers Mud Mill Road solar array

TOWN OF CICERO – The town of Cicero is considering an application for a community solar project on Mud Mill Road that could power about 1,000 homes.
Last Wednesday, the town hosted a public hearing on the project that brought out a number of residents both in favor and opposed to the project.
The property, at 7570 Mud Mill Road, is owned by Donald Harwood, a local farmer who has been involved with a number of community organizations over the years. The project would sit on about 20 acres of Harwood’s farm and the rest of the land would remain agricultural.
The developer on the project is Renua Energy out of Glens Falls. David Byrne, Renua’s founder and CEO, provided an overview of the project.
The project site would sit about 410 feet off of Mud Mill Road. The panels, which would rotate with the sun during the day, would be at about 16 feet at their highest point.
The project site is screened on three sides by existing forest but would be visible by passers by on Mud Mill Road. To shield the view of the solar development, Byrne said more than 300 trees will be planted along the edge of the project facing Mud Mill Road. Those trees will be five to six feet tall when they are planted. Planting larger trees, Byrne said, is difficult because larger trees do not recover as well when replanted elsewhere.
Renua would lease the land for the project from Harwood, and the decommissioning plan would call for the land to be returned to its original agricultural condition at the end of the solar array’s useful life, which is likely around 25 years, Byrne said.
Mike Harwood, Donald Harwood’s son, said the agricultural character of the area has always been important to his father and he would do anything in his power to ensure “the beauty of the town will not be compromised.”
“My dad’s lived all 83 years of his life at this house in this town,” Mike Harwood said. “It ensures my father can live his life out his remaining years peacefully knowing that his home and family are taken care of and it manages to help the environment and many of our neighbors at the same time.”
Several area residents voiced support for the project, stating that they trust the Harwoods, as longtime stewards of the farm, would put together a suitable project. Others said that it was preferable to a housing development and that the fact that it would return to agriculture in the future is a benefit.
Others were concerned about the visual impact of the project, the height of the screening, and the potential impact on groundwater in the area. Several cited the solar array that is currently being constructed on McKinley Road. In front of that project, small evergreen trees have been planted that are dwarfed by the solar panels behind them.
“It will be nothing like the other projects in our area,” said Mike Harwood, citing the 400-plus foot setback from the road. He added that during spring through fall, drivers on Mud Mill Road will see the corn fields and gardens that exist there now.
The town board did not make a decision on whether to approve the project and will take up the issue again at its meeting on Feb. 22.
The town did, however, pass a modification to its code regarding large-scale solar facilities.
Currently, commercial solar arrays are allowed in any zone. The town amended that last week to require solar developers to apply for a zone change to a commercial solar zone before any development would be considered.
“This basically puts another layer of discretion in between the solar farms and the town,” said Councilor Jonathan Karp.
The new code does not apply to any pending solar development projects, including the Mud Mill Road project.