Orange County NC Website
20 <br /> 1 David Rooks: I am going to mark the first - the current- as exhibit as one—the photograph of <br /> 2 what is as exhibit one. I am going to mark the other photograph — proposed - as exhibit two. <br /> 3 And I'm going to tender that to the clerk for the record, and I tender the witness. <br /> 4 <br /> 5 Michael Fox: Excuse me, Mr. Cantwell. I'm sorry we both have to share the same mic here <br /> 6 so. I don't want to get in your space too much, but I do have a few questions for you. My name <br /> 7 is Mike Fox. I am an attorney with Sunlight. Do you have any personal experience with solar <br /> 8 farms, solar energy or solar power? <br /> 9 <br /> 10 Robert Cantwell: No. <br /> 11 <br /> 12 Michael Fox: Okay. So all of the issues that you just testified to of potential problems, you <br /> 13 don't have any personal experience with that? <br /> 14 <br /> 15 Robert Cantwell: With the issues, certainly I do. I have been following residential <br /> 16 development in Orange County for the 24 years I've lived here, and to some extent I am actually <br /> 17 quite familiar with - with the kinds of issues that affect quality of life, open space. The rural <br /> 18 buffer designation — I was involved in that debate 24, 25 some odd years ago. So, I would say I <br /> 19 have some familiarity with these kinds of issues. I actually taught a course in development and <br /> 20 suburbanization at UNC Chapel Hill for a number of years. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 Michael Fox: But you don't have any personal experience in relationship to solar farms, <br /> 23 correct? <br /> 24 <br /> 25 Robert Cantwell: No. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 Michael Fox: And the picture there that you took of the solar farm — I think it's White Cross. Is <br /> 28 that correct? <br /> 29 <br /> 30 Robert Cantwell: Correct. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 Michael Fox: Are you aware whether or not that solar farm is required to have buffering like the <br /> 33 one — like what's proposed here? <br /> 34 <br /> 35 Robert Cantwell: My understanding is that it's not required to have buffering. We did note a <br /> 36 few dead shrubs along the perimeter, and I didn't know what the origins of the shrubs might <br /> 37 have been. But as far as I know, buffering is not as — not required of that installation. <br /> 38 <br /> 39 Michael Fox: So, the picture that you presented is — is not representative of what you might <br /> 40 see if you look out your back door, because this project would have landscaping, trees, shrubs <br /> 41 that would obscure. <br /> 42 <br /> 43 Robert Cantwell: No. No, as I testified just a moment ago, the topography of the land will <br /> 44 make it essentially impossible for either fencing or plantings to obscure our view of the solar <br /> 45 panels. It doesn't make the installation invisible. On the contrary, the installation will be visible <br /> 46 over the top of the fence. I don't know how many years it will require to grow a tree that can <br /> 47 fully obscure the view of the solar array you're proposing. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 Michael Fox: You are aware that at their planting, the trees are a minimum 8 feet. <br /> 50 <br /> 51 Robert Cantwell: Yes <br />