HAMPDEN — The Conservation Commission voted against approval of the proposed agri-solar facility at 530 Glendale Rd., following a vote at its July 17 meeting with three votes against and one required abstention.
After the vote, residents in the audience applauded and thanked the commission for its decision.
The proposed project was first presented to the commission in December 2023 after delineations occurred from February to October of the same year, Conservation Commission Co-Chair Judy McKinley Brewer stated.
The commission then requested three rounds of peer review from Tighe & Bond in addition to a review of the riverfront restoration, wetland protection laws, stormwater in the area and the agricultural integration plan.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the applicant and the commission itself also reviewed the submitted documents concerning the proposed facility, Brewer said. During this process, the Hampden Conservation Commission crafted a list of conditions for the project to meet that aligned with local standards.
Proponents of 530 Glendale Rd. project proposed a 4.92-megawatt solar facility across 21 acres that would support areas inside the facility for livestock, such as sheep, pigs and cattle. It was scheduled to open for use in 2026 and last for a minimum of 25 years, Brewer stated.
At the July 17 meeting, the commission conducted its review of the agricultural integration plan and the final comments from the most recent peer review as well as addressed residents’ concerns before taking its vote.
Throughout the meeting, residents in the audience expressed multiple concerns for the project, such as the placement and height of fences, the proximity of the facility to the abutting properties, sufficient care for animals on the property, the potential for erosion and contamination of local water sources, and the limited window for regular reports of the facility.
Residents have been similarly vocal about their concerns for the project in previous meetings.
In response, Level Design Group civil engineer Nick Facendola noted that he felt the project was “becoming over-conditioned,” stating that “when you start to over-condition and put too many specifics … things either don’t get done or don’t get followed up on.”
The applicant can appeal to Mass DEP to override the Conservation Commission’s decision, Brewer said. However, she noted that the organization was “often more adamant,” referring to a past solar facility project that appealed to Mass DEP following the Conservation Commission’s 46 conditions and was given 58 total conditions by the state organization.
Additionally, if 10 or more residents disagree with the decision, they can petition the commission to reconsider, she said.
“I will tell you out there not to get too excited about us rejecting it [the 530 Glendale Rd. project]. There’s about a 50/50 chance that [MassDEP] will make revisions and accept it,” Brewer said to audience members at the meeting. She went on to state that she was “sure” the applicant would appeal the Conservation Commission’s decision.
Following the decision, commission members each shared why they voted against the project, noting concerns with the northeast quadrant road that crosses wetlands as well as the proximity of the solar arrays to the buffer zones and the risk to the riverfront.
With the Conservation Commission’s decision, the proposal must now be reviewed by the Hampden Planning Board, Board of Health and Board of Selectmen, Brewer said.
