Selectmen attempt to get solar array by-law on warrant

Date: 7/26/2011

July 25, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW — Timing was one of the biggest concerns the Planning Board had when it met with the Board of Selectmen on July 19 to discuss the creation of a by-law amendment to specify acceptable zoning for placement of a photovoltaic array.

Board of Selectman Chair James Driscoll told the Planning Board the Selectmen hoped to have the proposed by-law in place to be voted on at the Special Town Meeting on Sept. 26.

However, members of the Planning Board expressed doubts in their ability to finalize a proposal with the Aug. 5 deadline for warrant articles quickly approaching.

“Getting this into the Special Town Meeting would be an ambitious schedule,” Planning Board Chair Peter Punderson said. “We want to make sure we do it in the proper form and that could be difficult because we have to have it in by Aug. 5. It’s not that we don’t want to, but we want to do it right. We don’t want to submit something that isn’t water tight..”

Planning Board member George Kingston concurred with Punderson’s assessment, adding, “We want to make sure we have the by-law that we want. Rushing it could push us in the wrong direction.”

The Planning Board also added that a public hearing, which requires two weeks notice to the town, according to Massachusetts Open Meeting Laws, must take place regarding any by-law amendments.

Driscoll, who has expressed interest in looking into partnerships between industrial businesses and solar array developers to generate savings and revenue for the town, said he felt the boards would be doing the town a disservice if they wait until the 2012 Annual Town Meeting to bring forward a proposal.

“This is an accepted technology and its use could mean cost savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the town,” he said. “We could literally be out thousands of dollars if we hold off on this.”

He further questioned the Planning Board’s inability to move quickly on this by-law, adding the by-law amendment he proposed in 2006 to place a cap on large retail chain stores in town moved along in a much timelier fashion.

Punderson said that amendment was different in that, among other things, it concerned building and zoning issues the Planning Board was familiar with, while the solar array issue is a new one the board has to learn about before acting upon.

Driscoll suggested that the Board of Selectmen could submit a warrant article by the Aug. 5 date and then propose an amendment to that article with the finalized language of the by-law. Planning Board Manager Robyn Macdonald said that it was very possible the moderator would not allow such a broad amendment.