Dexter council extends extends moratorium on solar farms for another year

DEXTER — The Dexter Town Council on Thursday, March 13 extended a moratorium on commercial solar arrays for another year as the planning board develops a comprehensive ordinance.

The latest moratorium will last for a year, as opposed to the previous moratorium that was only 180 days. It’s the second time the moratorium has been extended since first going into effect in last May. 

With the moratorium in place, the town can temporarily pause any new solar farm development while more permanent measures are developed. The moratorium is based on the development’s size, and does not apply to solar panels that homeowners or small businesses may install. 

“Are we just going to kick the can again?” Councilor Adam Briggs asked. “At some point we need to make a decision whether we like it or not. I’m in favor of the moratorium, I just don’t want it to carry on every six months redoing the moratorium.”

Town Manager Trampas King said the planning board has been working on a long-term commercial solar array ordinance to regulate what kind of developments would be permitted in town, and this likely will be on the agenda for the council’s April 10 meeting.

“Some of us are going to like [the ordinance] and some of us are not, but we need to make a decision,” Briggs said.

The idea of having a non-binding referendum question on solar for the November ballot was mentioned.

“I think the problem here that people are overlooking is there are four applications already in the works so having a moratorium and having a vote is a wonderful thing but it’s not going to stop the town of Dexter from being sued if we don’t take care of those four applications before that are already in the works,” Vice Chair Marcia Delaware said. These four applications were submitted before the moratorium was enacted.

The ordinance would give teeth to work with the four applications and stop other proposals, she said.

“We can’t just say no solar because it’s already in the works,” Delaware said.

In other business, the council accepted a bid of $12,333 from Pierson Nurseries of Dayton to plant 70 trees. 

A $185,131 grant from the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry was accepted last month. Some of those funds will go toward removing dangerous trees and for shade tree planting, King said.

Roads with the worst trees are Mechanic and Liberty streets, the town manager said. Should these large trees have fallen before being removed, major damage would have been sustained at the Liberty Street cemetery and Mechanic Street homes. 

New trees would be planted in locations such as the public beach on Lake Wassookeag, airport, ice rink and some parks. 

The council approved putting two items on the April agenda, including moving $300,000 from the undesignated fund account to the streets, roads and bridges paving account.

The $300,000 would enable the hired contractor to carry out some paving earlier in the season, King said, adding that the council would like to get some paving finished this spring as prices are typically better at this time of year. 

The other item for April 12 will be handing over ownership of an acre of town-owned property, known as the Tilson’s parking lot, to the Overbrook Corporation.

The entity had approached the town about wanting to pave the entire parcel, part of which is owned by Overbrook. 

“In the best interest of the town we do both parking lots at the same time,” King said, as conveying the property would make this easier. Under an agreement, the municipality would still be able to use the parking lot while the corporation maintains it.

“Mud season is here now, so just be patient on the roads please,” King said in his report.