At the last Planning Board meeting on February 3, Boston-based Nexamp presented a pre-application site plan for the Fort Hill Road Solar Project, the first of its kind in Gorham and also Nexamp’s first in Maine due in part to the passage of LD 1711 “An Act To Promote Solar Energy Projects and Distributed Generation Resources in Maine” in June 2019.
The company is seeking approval to construct a 6.5 megawatt, 32 acre PV Solar Ground-Based Array south of 412 Fort Hill Road, with associated equipment, gravel access, perimeter fence and utility poles. The land would be leased from the Norman Martin Trust. Henry Barrett of Nexamp confirmed that his company would be the longterm owner and operator of the solar array, and would work directly with the landowner.
Christopher Ryan, a site engineer from Meridian Associates, said the goal is to minimize earthwork as much as possible. “No lighting, no tree removal, reseed any areas that need it,” he said. The area would be fenced in with a low-impact fence solution that blends in well and maintains the agricultural area.
Graphic courtesy of NexampPlanning Board member James Anderson compared the scale of the project to the Maine Mall and asked for a 3D rendering/street view for further discussion at the company’s formal submission meeting.
The solar array would consist of single access trackers that would follow the sun. Barrett said, “as the sun moves across the sky, they rotate and follow the sun…as the sun is shining, it’s feeding power into the grid, and at the same time, it’s charging the battery bank so that when the sun goes down, they can still continue to feed electricity into the grid.”
Planning Board member Mike Richman asked for photo samples of a similar solar array and fencing, and felt there should be more discussion on potential noise and glare. He also asked if it was financially feasible to push the placement further away from the abutting neighborhood on Norway Rd.
Michelle Whittemore, who recently bought a home on Norway Road, asked what the power would be used for and how it would benefit residents. She was also concerned about the effect it would have on the value of the homes in her neighborhood.
Moore confirmed that Nexamp plans to work with neighbors to make sure their concerns are addressed but that current studies show wind noise may actually decrease, air temperature should not be affected, and housing values do not depreciate.
As far as the benefits to residents, Keith Hevenor, communication manager for Nexamp, shared that a community solar farm of this size would serve approximately 1,000 homes. Electricity would go to the grid and credits would be assigned to utility bills. Individuals can sign up to be a recipient of those credits on a first come, first served basis.
Planning Board Chairman George Fox said the approval of this project would involve a multi-step process with additional public hearings, and abutters would have an opportunity to participate in a site walk.
“My guess is the overall response to this is that we’re very happy to have a renewable energy generating facility in town. At the same time for abutters around this property and for those driving by it, we want to make sure quality of life issues are considered as well,” said Fox.
Planning Board member Scott Firmin read from the Comprehensive Plan: “Gorham supports sustainability of the environment and natural resources while being open to considering new technologies or new ideas to enhance the community’s sustainability and improve the living environment.”
Gorham Community Development Director Tom Poirier said that the Board can not consider impacts on value to abutting properties. Essentially, if it meets the performance standards for setbacks, buffering, noise, etc., the Board can only weigh in on that.
Nexamp is ready to break ground as early as this fall, however, the project may not start until Spring 2021 based on permitting and other factors. Once approved, Moore expects the project to take 4-6 months to build. For more information on community solar arrays, click here.