Bowman Road solar faces opposition

TOWN OF MANLIUS – Residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed Bowman Road solar array made their voices clear Monday night that they feel the project would negatively impact their views and their property values.
The project would sit on the town of Manlius’ capped landfill. To the south, the Star View Estates sits several hundred yards away on a hill about 70 feet above the proposed project. To the north, the project would be visible by some of the homes in the Clark Hill neighborhood.
The project is proposed by Abundant Solar, a Canadian company that has worked with several other area municipalities on developing solar projects on municipally-owned land, including capped landfills. The town board has been working with Abundant Solar on the project since 2020 and has entered into a lease agreement for the landfill pending the approval of a special use permit and site plan.
About a dozen Manlius residents spoke at the public hearing Monday night in front of the Manlius Planning Board, which will make the determination on the special use permit. All of the residents who lived in close proximity to the project were in opposition.
“This is not going to be a minor visual impact for this community,” said David Zuber of Roumare Road in Clark Hill. “It truly will be destroying the view for many.”
“If this goes through, my view’s destroyed,” said Robert Janosky of Avriel Drive in Star View Estates. “I’ll sell the place.”
Melissa Clarke, representing Abundant Solar, said photographs from residents’ properties show a view of the landfill site from several of the impacted homes that is partially screened by mature trees. The photos were taken in winter, with no leaves on the trees. She showed a rendering of what the view would look like with leaves on the trees in other seasons, which mostly blocked the view of the landfill.
Many of the residents dismissed the rendering as unrealistic and said many of the trees are ash trees that are dead or dying because of the emerald ash borer and need to be removed.
Clarke also said that fears of glare are overstated, because modern solar panels no longer give off much glare. She showed a chart that indicated the glare from modern solar panels is now roughly equivalent to natural landscapes, and significantly less impactful than snow or water.
“With respect to glare, we’ve come through an evolution,” she said. “They are less impactful and more efficient.”
If this community solar array is approved, Manlius residents would be able to purchase their electricity through Abundant Solar at a 10 percent discount from National Grid’s electric rates. The solar array could power about 500 homes and would cover about 17.5 acres of the old landfill.
Not all of the feedback the board received was in opposition to the project. Three town residents spoke in favor of the project, citing the need for the town to be an active participant in the fight against climate change.
“Multiple efforts need to be made in order to salvage our world,” said Thomas Bassett of Barberry Lane. “It all boils down to individual rights versus the public interest.”
The planning board will continue its deliberations on the project at its meeting on Feb. 14.