Moratorium on new solar projects delayed

PINE PLAINS —  Having not received comment from the Pine Plains Planning Board, which was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, July 26, the Pine Plains Town Board delayed a vote at its meeting on Thursday, July 20, on a moratorium law for new solar projects until its next meeting on Thursday, Aug. 17.

The moratorium would prevent new applications of tier three solar projects (defined in local law as “large scale solar instillations”) for a period of eight months while the town reevaluates its solar laws. Current proposals, notably the Carson Power solar project, would be exempted from this moratorium, and would proceed with consideration under the current solar zoning laws.

The board covered a few other items during the meeting, including a brief discussion of the Pine Plains Free Library’s Chapter 414 budget initiative. The library has concluded its collection of signatures, necessary to get the budget increase on the ballot come November, and submitted them to the town clerk, who verified that 154 signatures (far over the 109 signature threshold required by law) met all necessary standards.

Members of the public, primarily homeowners in the region of the Carson Power project, then made comment on the proposed solar moratorium law. Most spoke in favor of passing and expanding the moratorium to include the Carson Power project.

Allison Galliher, whose home on Skunks Misery Road is the only home that will be directly visually impacted by the project, spoke against the solar development: “It seems like everybody on the planning board, and the town attorney especially, wants the Carson Power project through. I find it very frustrating, because Carson Power doesn’t have a history in Pine Plains…They just picked a spot on the map. So to then hear the board going back and forth on funding our library [and other projects that are of service to the town]—that’s frustrating as a town member.”

Kevin Walsh, who recently was named by the Pine Plains Democrats to run for town board in the upcoming November elections to replace vacating members Sarah Jones and Don Bartles, then spoke in favor of the Carson Power solar project.

“I think it’s a good thing,” said Walsh. “We tend to try to stifle solar when someone comes in and tries to do something big, but we can’t do it with rooftop solar. Someone has to put up a solar farm somewhere. …It’s not going to effect the quality of life in Pine Plains. …and it plays a vital role in reducing our dependence on oil. …We can’t have everyone saying, ‘not in my backyard.’”

After a few more comments, the board adjourned the public hearing on the moratorium for the evening.

The board also passed a proposal to allow Willow Roots, a local nonprofit, to make use of town property on 8 and 12 North Main St. for a flea market. As a trial run, the flea market will be allowed to operate two times a month for one month only. According to Town Supervisor Brian Walsh, the limited start is an opportunity “just to try it. If it creates too much of a problem, we can always pull the plug at any point, at any time.”

At a July 10 special meeting, the town board continued discussion of it preliminary plans to build a new Town Hall. The board took a number of public comments—including a suggestion to make the building two stories to keep with the character of the town center—and indicated it would put out a request for proposal for a consultant to advise on the project.