Revealed: 1/22/2023 1:36:55 PM
BERNARDSTON – After receiving a particular allow allow in 2019 to construct a photo voltaic array crossing the Bernardston-Greenfield line, a global renewable power developer has returned to the Planning Board to vary plans for the location. and particular permission.
After additional evaluation of its preliminary plans, Pacifico Vitality, based mostly in Japan and with workplaces in Boston, eliminated the Greenfield portion of its undertaking and proposed additional improvement at 52 Bernardston Highway.
“It is very shady land and it’ll be a bizarre row format,” Pacifico Vitality North America Properties Director of Improvement Kris Pitney stated of the Greenfield plans, including that the timber in that space are in protected wetlands. “It is an incredible undertaking, so we’re persevering with the trouble to make the adjustments.”
The brand new plan proposes an extra 5.5-acre array in Bernardston, bringing the entire acreage of photo voltaic panels to 18 acres. The full acreage of the property is roughly 71.6 acres, in keeping with Laura Lefebvre, a advisor with TRC Corporations.
“This land is underutilized. This undertaking… will carry financial advantages to the city,” stated Lefebvre.
Because the Planning Board has already permitted two of the arrays in Bernardston, an approval that concerned three of the board’s present members, a lot of the main focus of final week’s presentation and transient evaluate of the location plan was on the newest -o addition.
“We’re simply involved with the change upstairs,” stated Planning Board Chair Christina Slocum-Wysk.
In reviewing the city’s website plan standards, the Planning Board had no subject with any of Pacifico Vitality’s plans or its impression on the neighborhood, which Lefebvre and Pitney stated could be minimal. The corporate plans to maintain all of the land in place, even after doing a little minor grading.
Lefebvre stated the 6.5-megawatt facility could be “low-profile” as a result of the photo voltaic panels could be lower than 15 ft tall and the residences surrounding them could be greater than 1,500 ft aside. -on with pure visible limitations.
“It is an incredible website as a result of it is set again to residential and you’ve got the freeway right here,” he stated. “It is backfired quite a bit.”
Regardless of the change in plans, Pitney stated Pacifico Vitality will nonetheless promote the facility generated by the arrays to Eversource. Development, if the undertaking is permitted, will start later this 12 months and the arrays are anticipated to be operational by the top of 2023. Pitney stated the photo voltaic services will “go up shortly.”
With the preliminary website plan presentation and evaluate mentioned, Slocum-Wysk stated the Planning Board will proceed its public listening to till Thursday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m. to handle the particular modification. that Pacifico Vitality allow.
Chris Larabee will be reached at [email protected] or 413-930-4081.
