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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello Mass Planners,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The ICMA/APA Solar@Scale Guidebook may be useful <a href="https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9222548/">
https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9222548/</a> - it speaks to some best practices regarding impacts to forested as well as agricultural lands. They are conducting a 9-part webinar series now, with Session 4 up next on March 10
<a href="https://icma.org/events/solarscale-webinar-series">https://icma.org/events/solarscale-webinar-series</a> if you register I believe you can access the past session materials.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Agreed, it’s a huge issue everywhere. We’re performing third-party review of 10 utility-scale solar projects for 3 counties in Virginia right now, the facilities have a combined project area of 45,351 acres/70.86 sq. miles. Granted, not
all of this is panel coverage, but a significant amount, and most of the land is currently forested or farmed in some manner. Projects have raised enough flags that the state legislature is currently considering a bill that would establish a state DEQ permit
review of projects significantly impacting forested land and prime agricultural lands.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Michael<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#44546A">Michael Zehner, AICP, ENV SP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Environmental Programs Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#538135"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#44546A">The Berkley Group<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">c. 404-643-7930<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:michael.zehner@bgllc.net"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">michael.zehner@bgllc.net</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.bgllc.net/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">www.bgllc.net</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org">massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Thomas Bott via MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 24, 2022 12:57 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Christopher Skelly via MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>>; Town Administration <<a href="mailto:Administration@westhamptonma.org">Administration@westhamptonma.org</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] Solar Bylaw - prohibition against large-scale cutting / clearing<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="ydp8d302b66msonormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Dear Planners:</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The Town of Falmouth adopted a
<a href="https://ecode360.com/34130738" target="_blank">Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Overlay District</a> and Bylaw in Fall 2018 based on the Commonwealth's model bylaw that I wrote initially for the ToK and amended for Falmouth. We designed the Overlay
District by using aerial photography to identify previously disturbed area.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">ARTICLE 8: To see if the town will vote to amend the Zoning Bylaw by adding a new Article XLIII Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Overlay
District - and to amend the Official Zoning Map by adding a Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Overlay District along the Blacksmith Shop Corridor proximal to the power line easement on large parcels
<b>where tree cover and land forms have previously been impacted,...</b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">EXPLANATION: This amendment would seek to create an overlay district for large scale solar projects on appropriately-sized land forms,
<b>such as previously mined areas</b>, and would include reference to Department of Energy Resources siting best practices. The overlay would include approximately 151± acres for large scale solar. The article also includes a decommissioning bond.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">§ 240-254Site plan review design and operation standards.</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">D.
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Land clearing, soil erosion and habitat impacts. Clearing of natural vegetation shall be limited to what is necessary for the construction, operation and maintenance of <span style="background:yellow">solar</span> energy
system or otherwise prescribed by applicable laws, regulations, and bylaws.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"><a href="https://ecode360.com/34130780#34130780" target="_blank" title="240-254D(1)"><b><span style="color:#333333">(1) </span></b></a>Not more than two acres of forest land shall be
deforested for any one ground-mounted <span style="background:yellow">solar</span> photovoltaic installation, and no such installation shall be placed on such land that was deforested within the prior five years.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp8d302b66msonormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"><a href="https://ecode360.com/34130781#34130781" target="_blank" title="240-254D(2)"><b><span style="color:#333333">(2) </span></b></a> Land clearing in excess of two contiguous acres
in connection with any single installation is prohibited.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp8d302b66msonormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> In 2019 the Overlay District was expanded, by request, to include the Barnstable County Fairgrounds and allow the installation of solar carports over their fields
of grass parking lots. The effect was to allow patrons to park (and perhaps tailgate) under the canopies that were generally outside on the sight of neighboring houses to shade vehicle without throwing shade at the neighbors. The canopies also capture clean
stormwater from the panels and infiltrate it directly into the ground rather than have that stormwater run through the grass mingling with whatever might have dripped from the bottom of the mostly internal combustion powered vehicles previously parked there.
Only a handful of trees were cut.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp8d302b66msonormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">This was inspired by the Mass Audubon’s Losing Ground Report that noted: </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:inherit;color:#70AD47;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">13.5 acres developed per day</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:#70AD47">From June 2012 to June 2017, approximately 24,700 acres of natural land were converted to development in Massachusetts, translating to a pace of 13.5 acres per day through this 5-year
period. Nearly 30,000 acres of forest were lost during this time period, some developed and some cleared. Open land, including grasslands, agriculture, and unvegetated land, increased by approximately 6,800 acres, and wetlands increased by just over 2,200
acres.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:inherit;color:#70AD47;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">~1/4 of new development was solar-related</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:#70AD47">The rate of development increased slightly from the 13 acres/day reported in the fifth edition of Losing Ground (2005-2013), but is still down from the 20 acres/day reported in the
fourth edition (1999-2005). A new type of land development—ground-mounted solar photovoltaic arrays—contributed a significant proportion: as much as one-fourth of total new development in recent years.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">In 2021 the Overlay District was expanded again by petition (I don’t have that language handy) to allow a 100+ acre golf course to be included in an overlay district. The
petitioner citing that a golf course was a previously disturbed area and requesting a larger area to be cleared allowing more tree-cutting limited to not more than four acres, or 10 percent of the parcel, whichever is less. Mitigation by replanting twice the
area cleared with a landscape plan approved by the Planning Board that includes pollinator species. Likely pollinator species is not defined nor is there a list of species defined. Both of which would be very helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://www.capenews.net/falmouth/news/falmouth-planning-board-approves-solar-farm-at-cape-cod-country-club/article_964a23c2-fe22-5475-a636-207034f5ef5a.html" target="_blank">https://www.capenews.net/falmouth/news/falmouth-planning-board-approves-solar-farm-at-cape-cod-country-club/article_964a23c2-fe22-5475-a636-207034f5ef5a.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Here is Carver, where they have many Solar projects permitted likely contributing to Mass Audubon’s report, there are three different solar moratoria on the Town Meeting
Warrant, one from the SelectBoard and two petitioned. Solar is in section 3580 of their bylaw, so far I’ve only read to section 3574.1 . Stay tuned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">TBott<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Thomas Bott Interim Carver Town Planner<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i id="ydpfb687fb8yiv6753380931yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1519652102965_53159"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#4C76A2;background:white">You too could follow me on Twitter @TBottPlimoth but it clearly isn’t
necessary</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#26282A">On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 12:42:54 PM EST, Town Administration via MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>>
wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Good afternoon, planners!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><br>
Westhampton is looking to harden its solar energy bylaw to prohibit strip-cutting of large areas of land in order to facilitate large-scale solar. While solar is STRONGLY encouraged on roofs, over parking lots, and etc, we don't want swaths of panels replacing
our pines.<br>
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Has anyone implemented zoning bylaw that addresses this? Have you had such successfully approved by the AG?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Respectfully,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">- Doug.<br>
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Douglas Finn, Administrative Assistant<br>
Town of Westhampton<br>
1 South Road<br>
Westhampton, MA 01027<br>
413-203-3086<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#26282A">--
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