Fayette zoning board hears testimony on proposed solar farm in Georges Township
The Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board heard a third day of testimony Wednesday, with several Georges Township residents expressing opposition to a proposed solar farm.
Teddi Watson lives just 3 miles away from the proposed site of an 88-acre farm. Her eldest daughter attends Albert Gallatin Area High School, which will be just about 100 feet away from the edge of the site.
“I’m not opposed to renewable energy, it’s the proximity to the school,” Watson said during her testimony. “There are worries, such as … are there any precautions in place if these solar panels catch fire. I understand that the likelihood of that is very, very low, but it’s not completely impossible.”
“What are the precautions in place for that?” she asked.
South Carolina-based Susquehanna Solar LLC has asked the zoning hearing board to grant a special exception to building the solar farm in a residentially-zoned area near Route 119.
For nearly five hours, witnesses and experts both raised and tried to quell concerns over the proposed farm that would generate electricity to be sent back to First Energy’s grid.
Most of those who objected expressed concerns about potential safety hazards, the impact on property value and the potential financial burden it could have on taxpayers.
“We’re at poverty level in this area,” Watson said. “I feel like we’re being taken advantage of and that our land and our resources are being taken and used up and destroyed and then
we get nothing back from this effort.”
John Wadsworth, director of operations for Susquehanna, said during his testimony that Georges Township was chosen in part because the company could purchase the land instead of leasing it.
“There’s a lot less land for purchase in larger parcels that are closer to more dense urban areas,” Wadsworth said, noting the company is permitted to build the farm in the residentially-zoned area with a special exception.
“This is permitted to be put in this parcel if we follow the recommendations, which means we can do this, which means that this would be a good parcel of land for us to purchase,” Wadsworth said.
Susquehanna filed for a special exception in March. A public hearing was held the next month and testimony had to be continued into a second day due to the number of people who wanted to speak about the proposal. Wednesday’s hearing was the third and final day for testimony.
In addition to experts who offered testimony in opposition to the solar farm, state Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa also voiced her disapproval for the project, noting concerns that Susqueheanna was taking advantage of Georges Township.
“Quite frankly, it is predatory,” she said. “I think a lot of times Uniontown and Fayette County are targeted because it’s perceived that we’re uneducated and we’re poor and we won’t take a stance. Clearly, you’re seeing just the opposite of that there today.”
Her testimony was interrupted several times by audience applause, prompting zoning hearing board member Robert Lesnick to tell the crowd to “control yourself.”
Wadsworth said the company’s intention was to be a good neighbor. As property owners in Georges Township, he said the company would work alongside residents to help the community.
“Our intention is to be a good citizen and that will include, as we get into land development, working very closely with the fire department,” he said.
Wadsworth also suggested, as a condition of the special exception, to put in writing the site would not be used for any battery energy storage, in an attempt to alleviate some of the safety concerns about the solar farm.
The zoning board allowed until Sept. 6 to provide any more additional evidence into consideration before the board closes the case. From there, the Zoning board will have 45 days to make a decision.