WESTFIELD – The Planning Board approved a special permit, site plan and stormwater management plan requested by Con Edison Development to allow construction of a 10-acre solar farm at the former J.W. (Wayne) Cowles Construction site at 219 Russellville Road.
Con Edison Development of Valhalla, N.Y., requested Planning Board approval of those permits to allow construction of a two (2) megawatt solar generating facility at the former contractor’s yard and gravel pit.
The Conservation Commission is also reviewing the project because of the wetland and resource areas, some created as Cowles harvested sand and gravel and exposed ground water.
The Planning Board attached findings that the solar farm is an appropriate use of the former gravel pit and construction year and added a number of conditions to protect abutting property owners and nearby resource areas and wetlands.
A concern of residents is that the former gravel pit is frequently used by off-road motorcycle and quad operators who create noise and dust that impacts the quality of life of nearby residents.
Con Edison agreed to erect a fence along the road on both sides of the access gate to deter the off-road vehicles from entering the property which will also be posted with “No Trespass” signs. The 10-acre solar farm will be entirely enclosed by a fence with “High Voltage” warning signs.
The property presently contains has a casino stockpile of about 56,000 tons of asphalt from roads and other demolition and construction debris. That material will be used milled and used to grade the site.
The Planning Board also included conditions prohibiting the storage of motor vehicle, oils, pesticides and other hazardous material which could affect the quality of groundwater below the site. The site is within the Zone 2 of the a Town of Southampton water well.
Many of the conditions were recommended by the Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee which also requested that the solar farm be mowed to reduce the hazard of brush fires that would damage the solar panels.
The solar farm will occupy 12 to 15 acres in the center of the former gravel pit and will consist of approximately 9,000 solar panels, two inverters, two transformers and other incidental equipment needed to support the solar facility.
Electricity generated by the solar farm will be delivered to the Westfield Gas & Electric Department via an interconnection with the municipal utility electrical distribution system on Russellville Road.
The City Council approved a 20-year tax agreement with Westfield Solar LLC at its June 4, 2015 session.
City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell presented details of the agreement, requested by former Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, that will give Westfield Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison Inc., a $2,000 tax reduction for the first 10 years of the tax agreement.
The council approved the agreement which will require Consolidated Edison to pay the city $8,000 a year for the solar farm equipment, which is taxed as personal property, for the first half of the agreement, and then pay $10,000 a year for the last 10 years of the agreement.
The property taxes are not affected by the TIF and will be paid in full during the 20-year pact.
