CLAREMONT — The Planning Board approved a conditional use permit and a site plan for a .81-megawatt solar array on a parcel located on the Charlestown line this week.
The 13-acre triangular property is in the city’s industrial district at the intersection of River Road and Calavant Hill and is primarily a field bordered by trees on all sides.
Most of the surrounding property is industrial and about seven acres will be “disturbed” during construction. Kearsarge Solar of Boston plans to use close to five acres for the array, according to the site plan.
The company wants to begin construction this summer in order to have the array connected to the Eversource power distribution network before next winter, Steve Barrett, senior director of development with Kearsarge Solar, said after the board approval on Monday.
Barrett said the company has a purchase and sales agreement pending with the Bedford, N.H.-based property owner. The parcel is assessed at $287,000, according to the city’s assessing records.
The fixed-tilt array will face south and will be surrounded by a 7-foot agricultural style fence with 6-inch clearance at the bottom for small wildlife to move freely on the property. Six new utility poles will be installed to connect to the grid.
The board had only a few questions and did not express any objections to the plan. Members were satisfied with the screening, stormwater control, lighting, impact on surrounding properties and other aspects of the site plan.
Similar to other solar arrays in the city, Kearsarge Solar will have a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) arrangement with the city based on energy production. Kearsarge will also be required to complete a “decommission plan” for the array, which has a life-expectancy of 25-years, and post a bond for disassembling it before construction can start.
