It won’t be long now before the large-scale solar farm proposed for the large open space on Marion Road owned by Craig Canning, Rochester Farms, LLC, is approved.
The Rochester Planning Board on October 8 gave a nod to Sarah Rosenblat of SWEB Development USA, LLC before wrapping up the public hearing and bringing it to a close.
Since the last meeting in September, SWEB had managed to work closely with the board’s peer review engineer Ken Motta and address his list of concerns one by one in time for Tuesday’s meeting.
Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson kept himself up to date as the information was submitted to the town planner over the past week or so, and Motta stated that SWEB has indeed worked out all the remaining technical issues now, with the exception of one minor change that can be completed just prior to the board members signing the Mylars.
Johnson read the list of waivers before the board approved them all, which included one pertaining to gross floor area of buildings, of which there are none proposed, one for screening details for trash containers (none proposed beyond construction), a lighting waiver (no outdoor lighting proposed), and one to waive any pre-treatment of stormwater runoff since there will be no impervious surfaces.
The board also approved waiving a traffic study since no additional traffic will result form the solar farm, and one for common open space requirements since there is no ‘open space’ proposed.
“The farm will still be there,” said Johnson, “so that’s open space.
“I would probably say that we can close the public hearing on this and move forward with it,” said Johnson.
The board will vote for final approval on the project during a special meeting it scheduled for October 31.
“Thank you very much,” Canning said from the back of the meeting room. “I appreciate everyone’s efforts.”
Now, as Johnson put it, “We can get this out of the way.”
Also during the meeting, the board voted in favor of an Approval Not Required application for 565 and 0 Rounseville Road, which is associated with the Special Residential Development Special Permit application filed by REpurpose Properties, LLC, for an age-restricted residential development off Rounseville Road next to Plumb Corner.
REpurpose requested a continuance until the next meeting, but Johnson had some questions and comments for Brian Wallace of JC Engineering regarding some information still missing from the submittal.
In particular, Johnson was interested in some updated architectural drawings and a schedule for construction. He also asked Wallace for a larger-print edition of the plan to save Johnson a trip to the pharmacy for a stronger set of cheaters.
The hearing was continued until October 22 at the request of the applicant.
Also during the meeting, the board viewed some photos from the Snipatuit Road solar farm, displaying various landscaping no-nos the board had repeatedly asked solar developer IGS Solar to rectify.
During the last meeting, the board voted to call in the developer’s landscaping bond, an escrow account the town required to ensure compliance in landscaping, and chose to put Requests for Proposals out to bid and get the work done itself.
Although some mowing had been done as requested and some trash and metal debris has been removed, there are still 15 dead trees and shrubs and 12 trees tipped over that still need to be addressed. About 100 feet of barbed wire fence still needs to be mended and tightened.
Town Planner Steve Starrett said he thought the developer had been responsive and asked the board if it wanted to still pursue the bond taking and issue the RFP.
“Keep working on the RFP,” Johnson said. “Keep their feet to the fire.”
The total of the landscaping bond is $75,000, Starrett said. “We won’t use anything near that.”
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for October 22 at 7:00 pm at Rochester Town Hall.
Rochester Planning Board
By Jean Perry