“Massive public protest over a proposed solar farm that could mar the view of the Helderberg escarpment — 1,300 people signed a petition — led the town to draft new solar legislation, which the petitioners feared might be undermined by recommendations from the planning board or town planner.
Tuesday night, Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber made it clear, in the midst of a public hearing on the legislation, that “important views” would be protected.
Barber responded to a number of comments the town board had received last week from the planning board chairman, Stephen Feeney, to the bill on solar arrays.
In its draft, the town board had included sections about protecting “important views”; ensuring that a project aligns with the town’s comprehensive plan, “Rural Guilderland: Open Space and Farmland Protection Plan,” the “Helderberg Escarpment Planning Guide” (by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy), and “Clean Energy, Green Communities: A Guide to Siting Renewable Energy in the Hudson Valley” (by Scenic Hudson); as well as additional specific regulations related to decommissioning, meant to protect the town in the case of a solar-energy company going bankrupt or abandoning a project. “
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Flyod Mair, Elizabeth. Altamont Enterprise 5 March, 2020.