Site plan approved for solar project on Old DeKalb Road in Canton

Thomas Graser, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jan. 24—CANTON — On Monday night, the town planning board unanimously approved a site plan for a 3.3-megawatt solar array at 676 Old DeKalb Road.

The facility will sit on 22.5 acres of the 74.2-acre lot owned by William Mahoney.

Mr. Mahoney said his grandparents farmed the property more than 100 years ago.

"I am getting too old now," he said. "I want to have someone do something with it."

The project is being developed by Liberty, Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., doing business locally as BS Canton LLC.

The resolution comes with 21 conditions that the developer must meet.

Among those conditions, the developer must agree to the following:

Provide the town with a construction schedule, post a bond for the operation and maintenance of the facility, arrange to have landscaping inspected annually by a registered landscape architect or arborist, meet with emergency responders at the site to discuss procedures for emergencies and be responsive to legitimate complaints from the public.

BS Canton must also sign a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT agreement with the town and enter into a Host Community Benefit agreement.

BS Canton will hold a 25-year lease on the property with an option to extend the lease up to 10 years.

Before approving the site plan, the planning board spent about an hour going over the State Environmental Quality Review application, led by new planning board chair Ian MacKellar.

The array will comprise about 8,700 solar panels mounted on trackers that will follow the sun through the day. The panels will be installed 3 to 5 feet from the ground and reach about 11 feet high.

The plan calls for seven new power poles to be installed to make the connection with National Grid power lines.

An access road will be constructed and a 7-foot fence will encircle the array. The fence is wildlife-friendly, with a 6-inch gap along the bottom.

BS Canton plans to plant about 120 trees along the northern boundary of the property and a portion of the western border to help hide the installation from travelers on Old DeKalb Road, Risley Road and nearby residences.

Species proposed for the vegetative buffer are white spruce and red osier dogwood.

Mr. Mahoney said the property had become too much for him and provides little income.

"I've hayed it for the last 10 years," he said. "And I can't get any help."