A new community solar facility is coming to western Kent County.
The 15 acre site located near Hartly came to Kent County Levy Court with a unanimous recommendation from the Regional Planning Commission, as well as county staff. Representing the developer, Greg Moore with Becker Morgan Group says the site is a good location for a solar array.
“It's in a good location," he said. "It is zoned properly. There's not a high impact of traffic, parking, runoff - solar does not do that.”
Moore also notes the energy from the project would be offered to the surrounding community at a discount. That was a point in favor of the project for Commissioner George “Jody” Sweeney.
“This solar will directly benefit the community that it is impacting and it will help go toward starting to lower some of our electrical bills," Sweeney said.
Levy Court members approved the proposal unanimously with one member absent from the meeting.
Only one member of the public had concerns about the project. Stressing that he wasn’t opposed to the plan, Hartly Volunteer Fire Company Chief Bradley Gosch asked whether the site would be accessible for his company’s trucks, noting that another solar facility in the county is impossible to access with all the company’s apparatus.
“Because of the terrain to get back to it, you cannot get any type of fire apparatus anywhere near it," Gosch said.
Moore assured Gosch that the facility would have an entrance off the highway and a paved road. Another representative of the developer said they would offer free training on handling emergencies at the facility to the Hartly company and other fire companies.
