The Town of Montgomery’s October 11 planning board meeting opened with ongoing discussion for NY Solar 1001, LLC’s proposed solar farm for Plains Road.

John Cappello, a partner of J&G Law, and Kami Cohen, developer manager of Light Star Renewables, provided updates on the site plan in response to the last meeting’s public and board comments. These changes include a second vehicle gate for fire emergency uses, more delineators and an extension to its forsythia hedges to better screen the site from residents. Cappello also clarified that the project’s agricultural easements would go into effect only if a new owner were to take over the solar farm.

“Those were reserved in the lease in the event that in the future, because this is a 30-plus-year lease, possibly someone other than the DiMartino family were to farm that portion of the property, that they had the appropriate areas to turn around for their vehicles,” Cappello said.

“Obviously, the DiMartino family, who will be paying and working the property, won’t need those easements, but a future farmer could, and that’s why this lease will reflect these easements,” he continued.

Andrea Martinez, a resident who lives next to this project, spoke during public comment and asserted that the solar farm, despite its intentions, will prove problematic for neighbors due to its size and location.

“Everybody here is for solar, and we understand that this is a great opportunity for Orange County. Unfortunately, it’s put in a residential area directly next to our home…everybody’s going to go home and not look at that, but we will,” Martinez said.

“Obviously, we’re small people in the community and our voice is not going to reach the decibel that maybe we’d like it to be. And what’s going to happen there is going to be up to the board, and the decision is going to be here for what’s best for the entire community, which might not be what’s best for us,” she continued.

Martinez also mentioned that she and other residents have been waiting for a letter from Central Hudson that would confirm the solar farm’s location.

“We were told that there would be a letter from Central Hudson telling us that this is the deemed location, and I haven’t seen that letter, and if the board has it I would like to be able to see that,” Martinez said.

Following public comment, Planning Board Chairman Fred Reichle said the town’s landscape architect will send the board and applicant comments soon and that the board will need to iron out some issues before it can close the project’s public hearing. The board motioned to continue the hearing on October 30.

“We have a couple (of) issues that we want to button down,” Reichle said. “We can optimistically say that we could wrap it all up soon, all at one time, close the hearing, adopt the (negative declaration of environmental impact), especially with this landscaping issue.”