Southampton Crafting Regulations For Commercial Solar

Rooftop solar panels to reduce one’s carbon footprint have become more and more common on houses across Southampton Town, but now town officials are turning their attention to preparing for the day when those same tools will be developed on a commercial scale.

Last Thursday, June 16, Janice Scherer, the town’s planning and development administrator, Michelangelo Lieberman, a senior planner, and Deputy Supervisor Frank Zappone discussed with the Town Board several draft regulations for commercial solar arrays, with the goal of scheduling a public hearing on the proposals by the end of July.

“First and foremost, solar energy production on a larger scale is now a reality of land use,” Scherer told the board. She added that Southampton is in the most expensive zone for energy production in New York State and that not only does the town want to reach carbon neutrality, but It also wants to find ways to pass potential cost savings on to residents.

Plus, she said, the town had learned from watching how other towns have tackled the issue that “cutting down trees to put up solar is not the way to go.”

Instead, she said, the town should focus on already disturbed sites — town landfills, depleted sand mines, and brownfield areas — that could be used for large solar arrays.

“It would be a great way to remediate those properties,” offered Councilman John Bouvier.

The planners said any commercial solar operation should be required to meet its own electricity demand before selling energy back to the grid.

As an example, Lieberman said a grocery store like King Kullen could put solar panels on its roof and could easily meet its needs with the power produced on site.

Board members fretted about whether farmland should be allowed to be converted to solar production, with Supervisor Jay Schneiderman noting that if the town owns the development rights, it would likely be able to control such uses.

The legislation would also address setbacks for substations and other transfer points, so they are not constructed right next to residentially zoned parcels, Lieberman suggested.

The board and the planners also discussed solar parking canopies. Scherer said the state has no guidelines in place, and Scherer said the town should seek to soften their impact, perhaps by having them sheathed in wood.

As an example, she said if the board were to approve canopies in the parking lot of a town beach, it might want them to reflect the design of the beach’s facilities.

After some discussion, the board agreed that parking lot canopies should be required to undergo some level of architectural review.

The board also agreed that any legislation needs height, noise, lighting and other restrictions in place. It also agreed to limit clearing unless the property being targeted has already been disturbed.

The board also discussed its efforts to reach certain clean energy targets that help it qualify for state grant money. Lieberman said Southampton has become a state leader in that regard and has already qualified for up to $70,000 in state grants that can be used for things like the purchase of electric vehicles. If the town continues to attain goals, it could qualify for up to $200,000 in grants.

Lynn Arthur, the energy chair of the town’s Sustainability Committee and the founder of Peak Power Southampton, a nonprofit consulting firm, also spoke to the board briefly, to provide an update about efforts to educate the public about various sustainability and carbon reduction programs.

She added that the town’s sustainability website, sustainablesouthamptonny.org would be online that very day.