Salt Springs solar in jeopardy

TOWN OF MANLIUS – With the town board having voted down a proposed moratorium on siting commercial solar arrays, the Manlius Planning Board has resumed its review of two solar projects in the town, and at least one seems unlikely to pass muster.
On Monday, Sept. 13, the board closed the public hearing on both the Duguid Road and Salt Springs Road solar arrays. Board members were nearly universally critical of the plans for the Salt Springs Road project, which is proposed on an open hillside the rises nearly 50 feet above the road.
Andrew Day, of LaBella Associates, showed the board some new computer-generated photographs of what the site will look like when trees are planted to screen the viewshed, but most members of the board were unconvinced that the plan would effectively shield the neighbors’ views of the project.
“There is no way in the world, that those trees, I don’t care how tall they are, would screen a solar project,” said planning board member Rich Rossetti. “Those trees would have to be 50 feet tall, and there’s no way they’re going to be 50 feet tall in my lifetime or my children’s lifetime.”
“Candidly, I am a very strong advocate of solar. I think solar is definitely needed,” said planning board Chairman Joe Lupia said. “But we have always respected the neighbors.”
With most members of the board appearing to lean toward rejecting the project, Lupia took an unofficial straw vote of the board and at least six members said they were planning to vote no.
Lupia told Day that with the writing on the wall, his company may wish to withdraw the application for the project rather than go through additional time and expense to push forward with a project that is unlikely to gain approval. As of Monday, Sept. 20, the project was still on the planning board’s agenda for the Sept. 27 meeting.
Duguid Road project
The planning board seemed more favorable to the 11.5-megawatt project adjacent to Fayetteville-Manlius High School, which would be located on a site that would be hidden from view on all sides. Located on more than 240 acres, the solar array is the largest ever proposed in Manlius and would include more than 35,000 solar panels.
At issue is whether the project should be considered as a single project or three distinct projects.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) caps community solar projects at five megawatts. Because of this regulation, CVE North America is proposing a subdivision of the property that would create four different parcels, three with distinct solar farms.
That, however, could come in conflict with Manlius’ town code, which recommends that solar farms sited within the town be separated by at least one mile.
Planning board attorney Jamie Sutphen reminded the board that the one-mile restriction is a recommendation, not a law, and the planning board has the discretion to override it if it sees fit.
In arguing for the project to be considered as a single project, Carson Weinand of CVE North America said “it’s going to be one contract with the construction company. It’s going to be one installation.”
“I don’t see a problem with simply approving all three of these as three separate projects, if we can get past our own code which is they can’t be within a mile of each other,” said planning board member Arnie Poltenson.
If approved, the project would provide enough energy to power about 2,500 homes, with priority given to Manlius customers, Weinand said.
Site plan review will continue at the planning board’s Sept. 27 meeting at which point the board will vote whether to treat the project as one project or three, Lupia said.