Southtowns Record

Town Board minutes — August 12, 2026

Government
Town of Eden
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Aug 12, 2026
Kind
Minutes
Topics
Energy and data center siting, Zoning and land use, Water, sewer and drainage, Public safety, Budget and taxes, Parks and recreation, Audits and oversight, Moratoriums, Roads and traffic

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Added by hand from the Town of Eden's minutes on eCode360.

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August 12, 2026

  emergency access constraints.
  (13) Tree clearing and vegetation removal. Tree clearing and removal of existing vegetation shall be
  limited to the minimum extent necessary for construction, operation, maintenance, emergency access,
  and decommissioning of the Solar Energy System. Removal of healthy existing trees greater than six
  inches DBH shall be avoided to the maximum extent practicable. Where removal of trees greater than
  six inches DBH is proposed, the applicant shall submit a Tree Inventory and Tree Clearing Mitigation
  Plan identifying the location, species, size, condition, and reason for removal of such trees. Mitigation
  shall be required for removal of trees greater than six inches DBH and may include replacement
  plantings, enhanced screening, conservation areas, reforestation, or other mitigation approved by the
  Town Board. Replacement trees used for mitigation shall be appropriately sized, non -invasive, and
  suitable for local site conditions.
  (14) Agricultural soils. Disturbance of Prime Farmland, Prime Farmland if Drained, Farmland of
  Statewide Importance, and Mineral Soil Groups 1 through 4 shall be avoided to the maximum extent
  practicable. Where such disturbance cannot be avoided, the applicant shall demonstrate why avoidance
  is not practicable and shall implement mitigation measures approved by the Town Board, including
  compliance with applicable New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets guidance, topsoil
  segregation, compaction avoidance, restoration, drainage protection, and continued agricultural use or
  dual-use strategies where practicable.
  (15) Environmentally, historically, agriculturally, recreationally, and scenically sensitive resources.
  The Solar Energy System shall be sited and designed to avoid, to the maximum extent practicable, areas
  of environmental, scenic, historic, agricultural, or recreational sensitivity, including unique natural
  areas, floodplains, wetlands, streams, regulated waterbodies, threatened or endangered species habitat,
  historic or archaeological resources, conservation easements, trails, parkland, public open spaces, prime
  agricultural soils, and significant public viewsheds, including the Lake Erie viewshed. The applicant
  shall identify such resources on the site plan and shall demonstrate how the project has avoided or
  minimized impacts to such resources.
  (16) Slopes. Installation of Solar Energy System components on areas with slopes greater than 15% shall be
  avoided to the maximum extent practicable. Where disturbance of such slopes is proposed, the applicant
  shall demonstrate that the disturbance is necessary and shall provide engineering, stormwater, erosion
  control, and slope stabilization measures acceptable to the Town Engineer and Town Board.
  (17) Agricultural Mitigation. For projects located on active agricultural lands, the applicant shall
  implement agricultural dual-use strategies, continued agricultural activity, or agricultural mitigation
  measures to the maximum extent practicable and as approved by the Town Board. Such measures may
  include livestock grazing, haying, pollinator plantings, crop production, soil restoration, agricultural
  access, drainage protection, or other measures that preserve or offset agricultural productivity.
  Incorporation of sheep grazing into the vegetation management plan is encouraged where feasible and
  compatible with site conditions, project safety, and agricultural operations.
  (18) Noise. The Solar Energy System shall be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained so that
  operational noise from inverters, transformers, tracking motors, battery components, and all other equipment
  does not create a material adverse noise impact at any nonparticipating residence or nonparticipating
  property line. Unless a more restrictive standard is imposed by the Town Board, the operational sound
  pressure level attributable to the Solar Energy System, measured at the exterior of any nonparticipating
  residence or at any nonparticipating property line, shall not exceed the preconstruction ambient background
  sound level by more than 6 dBA, expressed as Leq-8hr, as measured by a qualified acoustician using a
  methodology approved by the Town Board or Town Engineer. The applicant shall provide a preconstruction
  baseline noise analysis and, if required by the Town Board, post-construction noise testing after the facility
  begins operation. If post-construction testing demonstrates exceedance of the approved noise standard or the
  presence of tonal, impulsive, or low-frequency noise that creates a material adverse impact, the
  owner/operator shall implement mitigation measures acceptable to the Town Board.
  (19) Continuing compliance. Compliance with the requirements of this section shall be a continuing
  condition of any special use permit, site plan approval, building permit, or other approval issued for a
  Tier 3 or Tier 4 Solar Energy System. Failure to install, maintain, repair, replace, or operate the Solar
  Energy System and all required improvements in accordance with this section and the approved plans
  shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
F.  After completion of a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Solar Energy System, the applicant shall provide written post-

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