Notice of Public Hearing 12-15-2021 6:15pm Moratorium on Special Use Permits for Large-Scale Solar Energy Systems
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that pursuant to the direction of the East Greenbush Town Board, the Town Board shall hold a public hearing on December 15, 2021, at 6:15 P.M., at the East Greenbush Town Hall located at 225 Columbia Turnpike in the Town of East Greenbush, to receive comments from the public about a proposed local law as follows:
A local law establishing a moratorium on the consideration and issuance of special use permits for large-scale solar energy systems.
By Local Law No. 1 of the year 2017, the Town board of the Town of East Greenbush enacted the Solar Energy Law for the Town of East Greenbush, for the purpose of regulating the installment of residential and commercial solar power generation installations. That local law defined a “large-scale solar energy system” as a solar energy system producing energy primarily for the purpose of offsite sale or consumption, and limits such facilities to 2.5 acres. Section 7 of that local law set forth approval standards for approval of such systems through a special use permit to be issued by the Zoning Board of Appeals, which authority was subsequently transferred to the Planning Board by local law no. 2 of 2017. Since passage of the Solar Energy Law, there have been changes in solar energy technology and use, and State legislation was passed relating to the regulation of solar energy projects. The local law would enact a moratorium for six (6) months from the effective date of the local law for approval or consideration by the Planning Board of large-scale solar systems in the Town of East Greenbush under the 2017 local law while the Town considers a thorough review of the issues.
A copy of the local law may be inspected at the Office of the Town Clerk during regular business hours. A copy of the proposed local law is also available on the Town’s website at: Proposed Local Law 10-2021 - Solar Moratorium
Written comments may be submitted to the Town Board by email to epangburn@eastgreenbush.org or by mail to the Town Board, Town of East Greenbush, 225 Columbia Turnpike, Rensselaer, New York 12144 at any time prior to the hearing.
By order of the East Greenbush Town Board
Ellen Pangburn, Town Clerk
Dated: December 1, 2021