Aug 24, 2024 By Karen Mansfield 4 min read

A nearly three-hour public hearing held Thursday by Smith Township supervisors to consider a special use permit for a solar farm was continued until Sept. 12.

The farm, proposed by Susquehanna Solar LLC of Fort Mill, S.C., would be constructed on a 60-acre portion of a 291-acre property off Route 18 that is zoned A-1 rural residential.

The company is seeking a conditional use permit to begin construction.

Last week, the township’s planning commission recommended approval of Susquehanna’s application, but attached seven conditions, including conducting a historical review of the property, coordinating with Burgettstown Area School District for construction and equipment traffic to make sure it doesn’t impact school dropoff and pickup times, and conducting a sound impact study.

John Wadsworth, director of operations for Susquehanna, said the company intends to comply with the conditions.

He said construction of the approximately 94,000-solar panel array would take three to four months. The panels will produce electricity that would be sent to West Penn Power’s local power grid for distribution.

Nearly 100 residents attended the public hearing, held at the Slovan VFW, with residents who live within a half-mile of the proposed site voicing concerns about the location of the solar farm.

Among the residents’ concerns is what they say is a potential drop in local property value for nearby homes.

“Do you believe there’s going to be a direct decrease in our property values once the solar farm is there?” asked resident Helen Fender. “Because I have seen a lot on the internet showing there is between a 1.5% and 8.6% average decrease in property values.”

Wadsworth said the testimony the company provided at the hearing states it doesn’t believe solar farms negatively impact property values.

“We can find anything we want on the internet. The studies that we’ve looked at, which are from Penn State, show there is not a decrease, and in some areas similar to this, there may actually be a slight increase in the value of the property,” Wadsworth said.

He also said there will be noise from trucks and equipment during construction, but the solar farm will be quiet when construction is complete.

“You’re not going to have extra traffic or other things, it’s going to be very quiet, and (the solar array) is not going to put anything into the air or atmosphere,” said Wadsworth, noting the solar farm will not impact the health or safety of residents.

One resident, April Dugas, whose property borders the solar farm, expressed concern that deer – which will be kept out of the solar farm by an 8-foot fence surrounding the property – will migrate onto her farm and eat her crops.

“Can you guarantee wildlife, deer, will not be coming directly to our property and eating all of our crops without a … fence to keep them out?” she asked.

Some residents asked about the environmental impact, while others expressed concern that their views in the rural township will be ruined by the solar panels.

Susquehanna, which has been operating for about a year, has at least a dozen solar farms under development in Pennsylvania. In Fayette County, there is a zoning hearing next week to continue discussions about a proposed solar farm in Georges Township.

It will be the third hearing on the matter due to the number of residents who wished to voice opinions about the project. Like the Smith Township solar farm, the proposed one in Fayette County would be located in a residential area near about 30 homes, as well as by Albert Gallatin Area High School.

During the Smith Township hearing, Wadsworth said the lifespan of the solar farm is expected to be around 25 years, after which it will be decommissioned, with several parts recycled or reused.

The continued public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Slovan VFW.