A special use permit request to change a piece of property from agricultural to utility solar use prompted many questions from Pavilion Town Planning Board during this month’s meeting.
Applicant NY CDG Genesee 4 LLC requested the permit for a 4.275-megawatt utility solar farm at 6464 Shepard Road, Pavilion. Code Enforcement Officer Matthew Mahaney said the project met solar law guidelines with the proposed size of just over 19 acres. The law caps it at 20 acres, he said during the meeting at Pavilion Town Hall.
Due to the enormous file size of documents sent online to board members, most of them weren’t able to open or review the project. Board Chairman Bill Fuest said he has plenty of questions, such as the height of the panels, how they are tilted, how the property will be maintained and the proximity of the solar farm to neighbors.
Those details weren’t covered in the initial plan anyway, Mahaney said. The request would require a public hearing, and he suggested that questions could be discussed at the next meeting in March, followed by a hearing.
“I would prefer to have a session in March with the application team, and use April for a public forum,” Fuest said.
Town Attorney Mark Boylan and the applicants are to be present at future meetings, and a public hearing will most likely be scheduled for April, board members agreed.
The Shepard Road property is owned by Suzanee and Douglas Waite, and Bogdan Dinu of BW Solar is also part of the application.
To view the site plan, click here (pdf).
