Public Hearing Minutes 07/24/18
ZPT Energy Solar Project 0 Campbell Street
Location: Rutland Town Hall Annex 246 Main Street
Present: Norm Anderson (Chairman), Marilyn Sidoti, Dick Williams, Shawn Moore, Tim Nahrwold, Ron Barron (Town Planner)
Guests: Oisin Muldowney, Corinne Rhodes, Patricia Kalinowski, Monica Gove, Chuck Gove, Chris Anderson (Hannigan Engineering), Ernest Mello (ZPT Applicant), Michael Gasparoni, Lindsey Demers
Public Hearing– ZPT Energy application for Site Plan Review for a Ground Mounted Solar Facility at 0 Campbell Street Assessors Map 54, Block A, Lot 4.21
Opened: 7:00pm
Norm Anderson read the legal ad. The land for the proposed Solar Project is owned by Michael Gasparoni. It should be noted that the address is listed on GIS as 97 Campbell Street. There is a 2nd parcel owned by Gasparoni with a house that is also labeled 97 Campbell Street. The lot where the proposed Solar Facility will go is behind this lot 97 Campbell Street and should perhaps be addressed as 97 Rear Campbell Street. An official correct street number will need to be assigned when they pull a building permit.
The application was reviewed for completion. Check number 2201 in the amount of $500 was received with this application. The name and address of the proposed installer and operator was missing. The applicant is currently working on what the access road to the solar facility will be. A continuation was requested by the applicant. One proposal showed access along a shared driveway. There were some concerns of abutters that the applicant is working to address.
The applicant also considered having one access road to this solar project and the one at 309 East County Road, but they are having some issues with wetlands that may prevent this. The applicant has a public hearing scheduled with ConCom in August.
The applicant will submit the missing information (the installer/operator information and correct access strip) before the continuation of this public hearing. Norm mentioned that there is a conservation restriction on this property. The board reviewed the restrictions. They did not see any issues. The applicant has had the conservation restrictions reviewed by their legal counsel. The planning board would like a copy of this report.
The applicant was looking for a waiver from one of the setback conditions. This will be discussed more at a later time.
Norm asked the applicant to look into using a stockyard fence instead of a chain linked fence. The applicant was open to exploring this option.
Tim feels that when maintenance is done on the solar array that a report should be given to the town to let them know. He believes this should be in the order of conditions. Norm agreed and thought this should go to the building or electrical inspector.
Abutter Oisin Muldowney (85 Campbell Street) expressed a few concerns. He was upset about the delay of the plans availability. The Planning Board is not really sure why the town clerk’s office did not have copies of the plans as they were submitted to the clerk prior to the planning board getting them. He also had concerns about wetlands in the area and vernal pools. He found the project description to be ambiguous. The board explained that the wetlands concerns would be addressed through ConCom. There is a public hearing scheduled on 8/7/18 with ConCom.
Abutter Lindsay Demers (95 Campbell Street) expressed concerns about them potentially using her shared driveway as an access road. She did not receive notification through the mail because the she more than 300 feet from the solar array. She feels she should have received notification because of the access strip. It was agreed, that while it is not legally required to send abutters of the driveway notification, it is the ethical thing to do. Letters will be sent out by the applicant before our next meeting to abutters in a reasonable distance from the access road.
Dick made a motion to continue the hearing on August 14th at 7:00pm. Tim 2nd, all in favor. Recessed: 7:51pm
Respectfully submitted,
Laurie Becker, Secretary
Minutes approved on 8/14/18
| 
