A solar farm/array is being developed on hilltop property in an area south of the Wellsville Municipal Airport...and while the town has questions, it lacks any regulations managing such developments. The issue first surfaced in 2017 when a member of the town planning board said he thought the matter should be reviewed. And while it was, Wellsville lacks any regulations that govern such projects. Numerous communities across the region have either developed or are in the process of establishing local laws regarding 'solar farms.' No such regulations exist in Wellsville.
The site is on private property; it's privately funded and the energy generated will be used for private concerns - there is, as far as WRN has been informed, no sale to area utilities...it's all private use.
The primary concern, at the town government level, was on potential safety implications for the airport. A planning board member told WRN that one concern was about reflectivity of the panels creating an adverse effect for the vision of pilots. McFarland-Johnson, the firm that engineers projects for the airport and according to planning members, had expressed a concern about pilot safety. The company, apparently, acknowledges that while there are no Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibiting such projects, it still recommended to the town that studies be conducted. Multiple Wellsville town officials town WRN that the panels would be "low reflective" panels---positioned toward to southern sky, which would not impact pilot operations.
Town officials told us that proper permits had been sought and approved by Code Enforcement. Lacking any other regulations or law, the project can proceed.
The Wellsville Daily Reporter recently published a story saying that a candidate who was seeking an appointed position for the town board had suggested a need for regulations governing wind and solar projects. On Tuesday, Wellsville Town Supervisor Donald LaForge said he was aware of the project and the related concerns, but confirmed without any rules or local laws, the town has no authority to stop or question the project.
The town community has a lengthy history of avoiding private property restrictions. In the 1980's, there was a heated debate about property regulations between the former town Supervisor Les Loucks and former town council member Gary Bastion...leading to the headline 'One man's property is another man's treasure.'
Several sources have said that the town may consider future development regulations. To be continued...
