The Rochester Planning Board Tuesday night brought a plan to place a large-scale, solar-panel system canopy over the Rochester Memorial School parking lot another step closer to approval.
The board noted it has received the project’s peer-review report from consulting engineer Ken Motta, but it discussed only the landscaping portion of the report in response to a request from project representative Steve Gregory.
Gregory said the developers were making most of the corrections recommended in Motta’s comments but wanted to know what type of landscape screening the board needs. The issue is the need to screen the 14-foot-high canopy from the school’s residential abutter at 38 Pine Street. The property is heavily wooded and 200 feet away from the canopy’s location.
Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson started his answer with the fact the developer cannot count the trees on the adjacent private property as part of the screening plan. The screening must be 100% complete from day one, Johnson said; the developer cannot use plantings that have not matured to the correct length.
Gregory was instructed to plan a 15-foot-high and 100-foot-long screen consisting of rows of Leland Cypress Trees and to post a landscaping completion bond for five growing seasons.
Johnson also noted Motta’s recommendation that the developers rewrite the letter of waivers to add that waiving the 100-foot setback requirement should be added to their requests.
The board continued the hearing until its January 24, 2023 meeting.
The plan for a canopy-mounted, large-scale solar photovoltaic system in the parking lot at the Rochester Memorial School will require a special permit and site-plan-review approval. The two canopies, measuring 222-feet long by 438-feet wide and supported by seven columns will be built on 13.7 acres in the school’s rear parking lot.
The board came even closer to approving Connet Woods’ proposal to modify its definitive, flexible subdivision plan by eliminating a subdivision road and convert/downgrade 10 approved lots to three lots at Connet Woods and Box Turtle Drive.
Project representative Steve Meltzer noted that Motta, in his recent review of this plan, seemed satisfied with the modifications that the developer recently performed.
“He said it’s all set,” Johnson said of Motta’s report. “It seems straightforward now.”
Swiftly thereafter, the board closed the public hearing, and Johnson told Meltzer that a draft decision will be prepared for its next meeting on January 10, 2023.
Next, the Planning Board approved the Village at Plumb Corner’s request to begin Phase III, which would mean an additional 10 units. To that end, the board set the surety bond for that phase at $980,000.
Lastly, the board reviewed a suggestion from Town Planner Nancy Durfee that its meetings move back to being held at Town Hall rather than the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library. Durfee said Town Hall would be a more sensible meeting space because it has its own Owl-brand microphone, along with camera system and laptops and will be closer to board files.
Johnson said the move is worth considering but requested the building commissioner be consulted as to the “real” occupancy capacity of the Town Hall meeting room.
Board member Ben Bailey then suggested the board and the town create a bylaw regulating the use of drones. He said a citizen suggested doing so after his own experience with a neighbor’s drone.
Johnson responded that the idea is worth exploring.
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 7:00 pm at the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library, 476 North Avenue, Rochester.
Rochester Planning Board
By Michael J. DeCicco