ROCHESTER — Planning Board members heard the beginning of a public hearing on a 9.5 Mw solar array planned for 0 Braley Hill Road at a virtual meeting on April 14. 

Eric Las of Beals and Thomas presented the project for its developer, Braley Hill North Solar, LLC, which plans to split 100 acres of land into two parcels, which form a “T” shape. 

The project’s planners came before the board for a technical review in December and a pre-submission hearing on Jan. 14, but this marks the first step in toward their formal application for a special permit. 

At the board’s request, if the developers remove or alter any stone walls, those stones will be placed adjacent to the remaining stone wall. 

The property has just two residential properties as abuttors, one 500 and one 600 feet away. The project is bordered to the east by a large wetland, and the minimum distance to the road is 675 feet. 

The project will not be visible from Braley Hill road due to existing vegetation, which the developers plan to leave. There will be some clearing to the south of the project. 

Developers plan to have grass beneath the panels, and will only install berms and stormwater basins during construction. 

“We have quite a number of sedimentation control measures,” Las explained. “Given our experience we understand the implications of opening a site like this and are trying to be responsive to those concerns,” Las said. 

The project also has a ring road around the array to provide for emergency response.  

Las did not present any landscaping, so Planning Board Chair Arnold Johnson asked why part of the plan showed a diagram of a tree being planted.

The presenter said he could have that removed.

“I think you’ve done a nice job in incorporating the comments,” Johnson said, but added that “In figuring out the decommissioning bond you need to pick a time frame.” 

Las said that would likely be 20 years, 

Johnson also pointed out that on the plan’s trucking cost the round trip to a transfer station was listed as one mile, but  “there’s no transfer station I’m aware of within 1 mile.” 

Las said he would revisit that item. 

The board is awaiting an engineering report on the project and consequently made a motion to continue the hearing to April 28.