Canton planning board hears from residents on Route 310 solar development
Dec. 6—CANTON — The town planning board heard from another large crowd Monday night at a public hearing regarding a solar project on the edge of the village.
The project is located at 295 Route 310 at the intersection with State Street.
The 5-megawatt array is being developed by SolAmerica Energy, Georgia. The project takes up 44 acres on a 70.7-acre parcel owned by Jim Curtis of Canton.
The property is bounded by United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care, Partridge Run Golf Course and the Remington Recreation Trail, Canton Apples, Smile Associates and property owned by Joel Howie.
In September, the St. Lawrence County Planning Board rejected the project because its proximity to village utilities made it more suitable for commercial or housing development.
The town planning board can overrule the county planning board with a majority-plus-one vote.
Several people spoke about not having enough information on the project and on the town solar law that governs the siting of solar energy projects.
"If community solar projects only need to avoid the rules of the solar law, perhaps we need a stronger solar law," Rainbow Crabtree said.
Ms. Crabtree asked the board to slow down.
"I would like to see the board slow down and not approve any more solar projects until we can review the law," she said.
Mayor Michael E. Dalton said the village board had notified the planning board that it was not in favor of the project.
The project "flies in the face" of Canton's comprehensive plan, Mr. Dalton said.
"We don't believe this is the highest and best use of this land," Mr. Dalton said.
The village agreed with the county planning board that the land could be better developed because of the access to village infrastructure.
Planning board chair Debra Backus gavelled the public hearing closed after 90 minutes of discussion.
The board had the examination of the State Environmental Quality Review parts two and three of the application but tabled it because it was not complete.
Sol America had been informed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation that it was concerned about two birds that had been sited in the area, the northern harrier and the sedge wren.
Joel E. Hens, a project engineer working on the application, said they would have more information on how to move forward with the DEC on Friday.
Board member John Casserly asked William M. Buchan, an environmental lawyer who is working for the town, whether the comprehensive plan was an issue in siting the array.
Section 7.2 of the comprehensive plan talks about limiting sprawl by keeping development in the town close to the village.
"The planning board can consider whether this (the solar array) is consistent with the comprehensive plan," Mr. Buchan said.
While it is not definitive, the comprehensive plan is a defensible reason for denying the project, he said.
"There is no black and white here," he said.
The board scheduled a meeting to go over the completed environmental review on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, 60 Main St.
The meeting was the last for Mrs. Backus, who is resigning. There has been no replacement named by the town.
