Plainfield
The hearing by the Selectboard, attended by less than a dozen people, was about a Payment in Lieu of Taxes request that Barrington said it needs in order to make the project financially feasible.
The five-year PILOT would have Barrington paying the town about $1,400 annually as opposed to the roughly $6,000 the town would receive if it taxed the solar array based on its assessed valuation, Town Administrator Steve Halleran said, referring to numbers he was given by the town’s assessor.
The 134,000-kilowatt array would be built on the school’s field and would partially cover the electricity costs of the school, Russell said in a letter to the town. The PILOT represents about 5 percent of the revenues.
“I’d like to see a lot more detail,” Selectboard member Rob Taylor said. “We love the concept of solar but the concern with this board is that is some of the most prime open space in town.”
The field is used by cross-country skiers, hikers and others.
Resident Paul Franklin said the board must be “mindful of the value of the site” and if it were privately owned it would be assessed at around $60,000 to $70,000 because it is open, accessible, level and well-drained.
The board did not make a decision on the PILOT and will ask for more information; however, Halleran said more than once that for the project to move forward, the School Board has to approve it. Until that is done, an application to the Zoning Board cannot be filed, Halleran said. The project also will require site plan approval from the Planning Board.
Russell explained that Barrington Power would own the array for at least for the five years of the PILOT so it can take full advantage of the 30 percent federal tax credit. After five years, they would either sell it to the school for about 50 cents on the dollar, or negotiate a lease. Failing both of those, the array would be removed, Russell said.
Asked by Halleran if the project works financially if he didn’t get the PILOT and had to pay taxes at the assessed value Russell said, “I wouldn’t be here if I thought that it could.”
Also in attendance was Superintendent Frank Perotti, who said the decision by the School Board did not hinge on finances.
“It is a decision about solar. We are not going to save a bundle of money,” Perotti said. “It is more philosophical, emotional and about land use.”
Resident Steve Taylor, who also spoke in support of solar, said the land has tremendous recreational value and urged Barrington to consider an alternative site in the same general location.
“I will grieve if the center of the meadow is taken over by a large installation,” Taylor said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
