GLENVILLE — A proposed 5-megawatt solar array for a large swath of vacant land on Snake Hill Road in Glenville will be reviewed by town planners next week.
The proposal by U.S. Light Energy for 107 Snake Hill Road has already been reviewed by the town’s Environmental Conservation and Planning and Zoning commissions, who ultimately recommended that town lawmakers move forward with creating a solar overlay district, paving the way for the proposal to enter the final site plan review.
Glenville's solar law requires developers present their plans to the commissions before lawmakers can create the overlay district and final site plans can be reviewed.Â
It's a more in-depth process compared to some neighboring municipalities, which only require solar plans to be reviewed by planners.Â
Lawmakers last month unanimously approved creating the overlay district, sending the proposal back to town planners, who will review the proposal for final site plan approval. Town Board members also issued a negative State Environmental Quality Review, determining the project would have no significant adverse impacts.
Plans involving clearing 41 acres of a 168-acre plot of land on Snake Hill Road that sits adjacent to a National Grid-owned transmission line and is located less than half a mile from a substation.
Under town law, the Latham-based solar company is allowed to clear up to 30% of tree coverage, or 48 acres in this case. Solar arrays must be located not more than a half mile from the nearest substation.
A bulk of the utilities at the site will be underground, according to site plans, which call for an access road of 3,440 linear feet and perimeter fencing around the solar array. The project is not expected to be visible to the public.
It’s not the first solar project that U.S. Light Energy has proposed in town. The company previously constructed an array at 66 Freemans Bridge Road, a long-vacant property that was once home to the Van Curler Greenhouse until its closure in 2007.
