There are plans within the works to construct a photo voltaic farm in Kirkland.
Atlas Renewables is seeking to construct a photo voltaic farm within the City of Kirkland, not removed from Sherill Brook Park in New Hartford.
Their mission is to construct a comparatively small photo voltaic farm with a venture consisting of Kirkland 1, a 5 megawatt energy plant and Kirkland 2, a 4.6 megawatt plant.
The venture drew opposition from a number of smaller organizations together with Kirkland Trails. A non-for-profit group with the purpose of creating leisure channels. Dr. James Bramley is the president of Kirkland Trails.
“I’m a powerful believer in renewable power. I’m an environmentalist, and I feel that that’s the future, but it surely should be used responsibly, they should be positioned in the correct locations, and I feel that locations are nonetheless there inside Oneida County, however that is most likely one of many worst locations to place a photo voltaic venture for my part,” he stated.
Whereas the group admits they wish to create trails by way of the property, the largest concern is the atmosphere. Hickory Creek Consulting was commissioned to do the environmental influence examine of the proposed venture, which incorporates the clearing of 65 hectares of forest. The examine concluded that there are potential flooding points downstream the place flooding points exist already.
“The actual flooding impact wasn’t felt within the metropolis of Kirkland. It was within the Metropolis of New Hartford and Whitestown, which might be one cause why we really feel prefer it by no means bought lots of consideration … as a result of it gained ‘no will actually have an effect on the residents of the Metropolis of Kirkland as a lot as the encompassing cities.”
Since this can be a small photo voltaic farm, the Metropolis of Kirkland has the authority to approve the method, however they might have bother getting round a few of their very own guidelines. That is as a result of the Metropolis of Kirkland has a photo voltaic ordinance, and written into their very own native regulation is to contemplate these particular objectives.
“Logging. Elimination of current bushes bigger than 6 inches in diameter ought to be minimized as a lot as doable. Effectively that is an previous development forest, a mature forest with numerous bushes that’s above 6 inches, they usually shall be minimize down each tree there.”
There’s a planning board assembly scheduled for January 23. As soon as the planning board finalizes a proposal there should be a public listening to. This can be the one time native voices are heard on this matter, which isn’t the case with many competing photo voltaic tasks.
