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