New focus group discussing impacts of pending solar project in Hartland

Thomas Tedesco, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·3 min read

Feb. 28—GASPORT — Hartland town leaders and residents gathered as a focus group to discuss utility-scale solar projects for the first time Wednesday.

Town supervisor Margaret Zaepfel and town board members Elizabeth Neadow and Sean Walp sat down with six town residents who are in support of and against EDF Renewables' proposed 350-megawatt Ridge View Solar Center.

"We have a lot of intelligent people in our community and if they want to be involved, we need them," Zaepfel said.

She hopes the meetings provide "transparency" between the town board and residents as the board looks to amend the local laws on siting of utility-scale solar energy facilities and solar battery storage.

Assembly of the focus group follows the town board imposing a six-month moratorium on the development of utility-scale solar energy facilities and solar battery storage, to buy time for the board to amend the local laws on siting of those facilities. Three of the five board members who voted to approve those local laws last year lost their bids for re-election and were replaced by utility-scale solar development opponents Zaepfel, Neadow and Walp.

"There's always been a question of transparency within the board members...(these meetings are) open to the public. It's like a work session for us and if the community has concerns they can bring them in," Zaepfel said.

Focus group member Floyd Snyder, a past town board member who is in favor of the solar center, said he hopes these focus group meetings will improve overall communication between the town and residents as the project continues to move forward.

"My point of view is we have to know why this is being put here and why they are doing it," Snyder said.

Zaepfel discussed with the group how she went with EDF representatives to tour the sight of EDF's 177-megawatt solar project in Mount Morris, and judged it as an "apples and oranges" comparison.

"When you're talking prime farmland, when you're talking about having people living close to it up to the road...this was up on a hill in the middle of nowhere, and there was nobody up there," she said.

Focus group; member Jeanne Darsow plans to lease some of her 52-acre property for Ridge View Solar Center. She and other residents in the group believe the payments they would get from the lease agreement would significantly help support their farms.

"I just want to be able to do what I want to do with the farming, have my job and not have to work overtime every day to pay for my farm so I can be somewhat self sustainable," Darsow said.

The next focus group meeting will take place at 9 a.m. March 16 at the town hall, 8942 Ridge Road.

Residents are still being recruited for a focus group on local business development. To express interest in joining that group, call Elizabeth Neadow at 716-263-6002.