Housatonic residents are pushing back against another proposed solar facility

GREAT BARRINGTON — An application for another solar facility in Housatonic has prompted pushback from residents who say they are done “being the armpit” of the town.

LSE Sphinx LLC, a West Hartford company that manages renewable energy projects, is looking to build a commercial-scale, ground-mount solar energy facility at 53 Van Deusenville Road. Because the site is in a residential zone, the company is seeking a special permit from the Planning Board.

The Planning Board was scheduled to hold a public hearing on Thursday, and many residents signaled they would be in attendance to oppose the project. But the company requested the hearing be postponed to Jan. 8.

Noise has become a concern with an existing solar facility in Housatonic, which has left residents particularly unhappy with the potential of another such project in their community.

“Housatonic has been through a lot the last couple of years,” resident Thomas O’Leary said. “I think we need to slow our roll. We’re done. Housatonic is done with being the armpit of Great Barrington.”

The facility would be a large outdoor solar power plant designed to generate electricity for the grid. Instead of on a roof, solar panels are put on racks that are in the ground and the panels collect energy from the sun and turn it into usable electricity on a commercial scale.

The Select Board voted Nov. 17 to give a negative recommendation for the project after a brief presentation by the company and comments from residents. The Board of Health also passed a negative recommendation regarding the project Dec. 4, citing the lack of data and an incomplete noise study.

Project developer Mike Vittiglio gave a presentation to the Select Board and said the closest residents are more than 500 feet away and the project only generates sound during the day when the inverters are active. When the project shuts down at sunset, there won’t be any operating equipment on site.

Back in May, an initial review of the project found no visible environmental concerns, and the site was found to be a good fit for low-impact solar projects, Vittiglio said. There are no active residential, commercial or institutional uses currently on site and the land historically has consisted of low-intensity rural or agricultural use.

The application doesn’t propose any permanent structures and Vittiglio said it will mostly generate minimal traffic noise or light.

Residents argued that the town has zoning for a reason and when exceptions are made, like a commercial project in a residential area, the businesses “proceed with the activities of their own accord.”

“The town of Great Barrington itself has admitted that enforcement is difficult until the town of Great Barrington gets a hold on enforcement at any level,” resident Michelle Loubert said. “A project such as this should not be recommended by the Select Board.”

Currently, the Board of Health is hearing complaints about the Altus Power solar facility, where residents describe the noise from the inverters as a constant, all-day buzzing sound that is irritating, despite the company’s claim that measured decibel levels are compliant with existing town ordinances.

“​​Housatonic has absorbed enough solar panel development to fuel or electrify Longmeadow and beyond,” a resident from the area of the existing project, Donna Jacobs, said. “Why must it be us yet again?”

Craig Bailey, another resident, said that though only a small group attended the meeting in November, there are a lot more who hold the same position as him.

“I’ve talked to all my neighbors so far no one is happy with this project,” Bailey said. “I’m asking you to not recommend this project. This is too big of a scale. In a residential R-2, we should eliminate this process and we shouldn’t be talking.”

During Select Board questions, Philip Orenstein questioned whether this facility would be different from the one that is before the Board of Health.

“On the one hand, your materials really talk about the noise being insignificant, while this other property has generated significant complaints about the noise,” he said. “So those two things don’t seem very consistent.”

Vittiglio said the company would be willing to do a sound study and it would be beneficial because it would get taxed at a higher valuation, which would equal more consistent tax revenue for the town.

In its negative recommendation, the Select Board unanimously agreed that Housatonic doesn’t need any more projects like this.

“It’s been too much in this area,” Ben Elliott said. “We need to look beyond just converting this corridor of Housatonic into the solar field of Great Barrington. We need to stop.”