Minutes 05-27-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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things. Let's put solar collectors atop the shopping centers, the parking lots, businesses, hospitals, big box stores and factories where they fit best. If Germany can do it, we can too. An article in the "News of Orange" on Friday, December 13, 2013 included comments by some of the County Commissioners in support of enhancing open land in the rural buffer to make agricultural land more profitable for farmers, using examples such as an ice cream store placed in the middle of a dairy farm, and a saw mill, a small family thing, but both farther than 40 feet from homes. Perhaps this meadow is right for something more suitable for a mixed residential agricultural setting. A power plant occupying 20 acres is neither small nor supportive of the land or the residents it intrudes upon. Finally, my conclusion must be that despite any potential value of solar energy, this is simply not the place for a power plant. David Rooks: Mr. Fox, any questions? Michael Fox: I don't have any questions for Mrs. Boggs. David Rooks: Carol Blackmore. Carol Blackmore: I have been duly sworn in. I am a resident of the Falls of New Hope Neighborhood. I am opposed to the special use permit under consideration today. In regard to this Special Use Permit, I am concerned that the Orange County Planning Department does not follow its own comprehensive plan objective AE-15 recommendations which aim to "foster participation and incentives for solar generation in residential or commercial construction." This goal is not met by this application and should not be cited as a reason to accept it. This proposal is for an industrial scale for profit commercial utility that does not belong in an agricultural field in a rural buffer zone along the perimeter of an established residential neighborhood. The applicants own attachment A, Clean Energy Results/Ground Mounted So/ar Photovoltaic Systems, published by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, Environmental Protection and Clean Energy Center "encourages designating solar installation locations in industrial and commercial districts or on disturbed land." The Massachusetts DOER also strongly discourages designating locations that require significant tree cutting, because of the important water management, cooling, and climate benefits trees have. This project would cut five acres of trees. Please follow these guidelines and deny this application. Orange County Planning Department review of this application also cites "compliance" with a comprehensive plan objective of"sustainable use of a non-polluting renewable energy resource." However, this project has nothing to do with how the energy produced would be used and should not be described as if it did. The cited DOER report states that it works to "ensure that solar PC and other clean energy technologies are sited in a way that minimizes impacts on scenic, natural, and historic areas." A memo from Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation dated February 10, 2013 to the Orange County Planning Department says "The site plan as now presented appears to locate the majority of the solar panels and the north end of the property, thereby preserving the open fields and rural character visible from Mount Sinai Road. The project appears to be consistent with the historic preservation goals in the Orange