HAWLEY — Solar panel regulation was among the most important issues mentioned by the eight residents who attended a Planning Board listening session last week, which was held to discuss initial ideas for new bylaws.
“The sense was that people wanted to preserve the rural character of Hawley,” Planning Board member Lloyd Crawford said.
In 2014, there was an effort in town to begin to regulate solar, according to Crawford. However, this effort failed at the time, leaving the town without a means to limit solar development.
“There is a strong sense that people aren’t comfortable cutting down forests or taking farmland for solar,” Crawford said.
Although regulating solar was not the only concern voiced, Planning Board members hope to tackle this single issue so as to not overwhelm themselves with crafting multiple bylaws at the same time.
“There are fewer chances of people coming to an agreement if we work on multiple issues,” Crawford said.
Crawford said the board needs to do its homework now, researching solar regulations and state laws ahead of a meeting in January. Members also plan to speak with officials from other towns that have already enacted solar regulations, as well as towns that have allowed large-scale solar projects.
Residents are opposed to solar developers cutting down forests or using farmland for large-scale solar fields, Crawford said. However, these new bylaws would not prevent developers from using roofs or abandoned landfills for solar projects.
Crawford noted the Planning Board will need to find a way to pay for the legal advice it will inevitably need to create solar bylaws. The board also needs to look into how new bylaws would fit into the Green Communities agreement Hawley has signed.
Bella Levavi can be reached at blevavi@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.