Firm outlines plans for two solar energy farms in Stonington
Stonington — A solar energy company outlined its conceptual plans to construct solar energy farms on Jeremy Hill and Lantern Hill roads for the Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday.
The commission, though, would have no jurisdiction over the projects being proposed by Greenskies Clean Energy LLC, as review and approval is through the Connecticut Siting Council. Once Greenskies submits an application to the siting council, town officials and residents can submit written comments on the project and participate in any public hearings.
Tuesday's meeting also gave the commission a chance to ask questions and voice any initial concerns.
The property at 54 Jeremy Hill Road would involve 28 acres of a 62.5-acre site that is zoned rural residential for single-family homes on a minimum lot size of 80,000 square feet. According to a report by Town Planner Keith Brynes, the land previously was approved as a 20-lot subdivision but that approval has expired and the new owners purchased the property primarily as farmland. Some of the land has since been cleared.
Greenskies representatives told the commission that there are two homes about 250 to 300 feet away from the project that would be able to see the panels. The panels, however, will be elevated 20 to 50 feet above the houses. Geeenskies Project Manager Bonnie Potocki said additional screening would be provided if needed and she has reached out to the homeowners to discuss any concerns.
She added the plan is to keep using the land not containing solar panels for grazing sheep and other livestock.
Plans call for using 14 of the 71 acres at 229 Lantern Hill Road for solar panels. The land is located in the greenbelt residential zone, which requires a minimum lot size of 130,000 square feet to build a house. Brynes wrote that the land, located across from the entrance to Linda Lane, is mostly cleared agricultural field. The site is bordered to the west by Whitford Brook. The land is also directly adjacent to Aquarion Water property where wells are located, but Greenskies said the solar panel development would not be in the town's Aquifer Protection Area. Potocki said plans are to continue growing sweet corn on the remainder of the site.
Potocki said the exact number of panels on each site has not yet been determined. Commission member Charles Sheehan told Greenskies that he would prefer to see transmission lines that connect the panels to poles along the street instead be buried underground. Potocki said Greenskies has to work with Eversource on that decision.
Greenskies plans to submit both applications to the siting council within the next four to six weeks. The application process is expected to take about six months, with Greenskies hoping to begin construction next spring.
In February, the siting council approved a Greenskies plan to convert four holes at the Elmridge Golf Course in Pawcatuck into a solar energy facility. It is part of the courses plan to downsize its layout from 27 to 18 holes.
In late 2019, the siting council approved a plan by Greenskies to create a solar energy farm with 16,680 panels on 16.5 acres of an 87-acre piece of farmland off Taugwonk Spur Road.
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