Town Will Provide Input to PSB on 2.2 MW Solar Farm
By Edd Merritt,
December 23, 2011…..

Charlotte's Selectboard and Planning Commission will both provide input to the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB)on the solar farm proposed for East Charlotte.

The board and commission met in joint public session Tuesday night, December 20, to hear further comment from townspeople and decide how to progress with the pre-application from Charlotte Solar, LLC, to place a 2.2 MW 15-acre facility with 345 photovoltaic panel arrays within a 46-acre field off Hinesburg Road in East Charlotte.

After hearing public comment (the second night in a row for the Selectboard), the two bodies agreed that it would be preferable for each to submit its own letter to the PSB since the board and commission deal with different issues in town. Their letters will suggest ways to relieve any negative impact(s) of the farm on the town. The Planning Commission would deal with issues such as siting, view sheds, impact on natural resources, while the Selectboard would discuss financial implications for the town, the potential for reduction in real estate values and how that might be measured and mitigated.

Several people in the audience on both days urged the bodies to request “state party status” in order to be able to participate in the discussions with the PSB directly, and it is likely the town will do so. The two letters are being prepared and will be submitted by the January 3, 2012, deadline.