To the editor:

As residents of the Salt Springs Road area, we oppose the proposed project listed as Item #9 of the May 10, 2021 Planning Board agenda.

Salt Springs Road is a beautiful area within the town of Manlius that should not have its’ viewshed polluted by a large solar array that will be visible on all sides. This area enjoys a beautiful 50-mile view that includes Oneida Lake and sits at a higher elevation than most of the property surrounding it.

As a group, we cumulatively own hundreds of acres and numerous residential and agricultural parcels, large and small, along Salt Springs and adjoining roads. We live here because we appreciate the pastoral beauty and independent living that this area offers. This is our home and we do not want a carpet-bagger to destroy the beauty of this area with many acres of shining glass. There is no way to block this view from the road.

It will be detrimental to our community to allow a massive solar array to be built on agricultural property that is not meant for this type of development. This is a commercial application that should be placed in an area that can be effectively screened from view.

We are not against the use of solar energy as long it harmonizes with the surrounding neighborhood or can be effectively screened. It is becoming apparent that the town of Manlius is approving solar fields all over our community with little guidance or any semblance of a master plan.

We are asking members of both the town board and the planning board to deny this application for a special use permit and to place a moratorium on any further requests for solar arrays until a complete set of both zoning and financial due diligence guidelines are formulated. We encourage you to drive along Salt Springs and take into consideration the negative impact this project will have on our homes, and the community as a whole.

David Muraco, Louis Muraco, Joseph Messineo

Salt Springs Road