Little by little, Maybrook’s first large solar farm project inched closer to all required approvals following several village board planning board joint public hearings last week.

Last week’s joint hearings centered on amended approvals on the project’s site plan and special permit applications, as well as again declaring a negative environmental impact.

Carson Power wants to construct two 3.45 megawatt solar facilities on a nearly 82-acre site bordered by Maybrook Road, Highland Avenue, Prospect Avenue and Logan’s Way on the village’s southwest side. The project will only use about 29 acres, with the remaining acreage to be deeded over to the village. The megawatts produced will be integrated into the Central Hudson Gas & Electric substation on Maybrook Road.

Both village and planning boards had given conditional approval to Carson Power earlier this year for the original site plan and special use permit. In addition, the village board had declared negative environmental impacts for the project. But Carson Power revised that site plan, moving the access road from the east side of the property to the west side, reducing the physical footprint of the solar panels and increasing the megawatt output, among a few other minor changes.

After last week’s joint hearings, both village and planning boards voted unanimously to again give conditional approvals to the site plan and special use permit and again declare no negative environmental impact.

There were no comments from the public during the sparsely attended hearings. In review, a Carson Power engineer noted the solar panels will face south, and 30-odd trees will shield the site from view along Maybrook Road. In response to a concern about emergency access to the site from planning board member Noreen Reynolds, the engineer said there will be adequate access and turning abilities for emergency vehicles. He and Village Attorney Kelly Naughton also stressed that required emergency access provisions are also addressed in village and state codes and will be followed.

Carson Power had initially hoped to begin construction in November, but the lengthy approval process and amended site plan has delayed that. Once construction does begin, completion is estimated to take from six to eight months.