Text · page 7 of 13
Town of Hamburg Planning Board Minutes March 18, 2026 notices will be sent out and will be posted on the Town website so that people may come and speak. There will be a coordinated review done for this project which means that the materials received from the applicant will be sent to a number of different State agencies for their comments. He will also be making a 239-M referral which is to send the materials to the County Planning Board because Pleasant Avenue is a County Road and the project is within 500 feet. Mr. Rogers encouraged the public, whether they are for or against the project, to read the Town Solar Law which is under Chapter 280 called Solar Energy systems. This law is going to be the parameters of what the Planning Board is going to review this project under. This project is zoned correctly for solar so at this time, it will not be before the Zoning Board because it does not need a variance. Under the Solar Law, Tier III projects are allowed in the Residential-Agricultural zoning district, but they do require a special use permit. Before the Planning Board asks their questions, Mr. Rogers would like to remind them that they can refer the applicant to the Town Board to have them consider whether a host community agreement is necessary or not. He explained that if they send it to the Town Board and they decide to enter into a host community agreement, that agreement must be finalized before the Planning Board can act on the special use permit. The Planning Board can authorize the completion of the 239-M referral and start the coordinated review process, which is a 30-day process. Mr. Rogers explained that the Applicant is also looking for the Planning Board to formally accept the application and that the Planning Board will establish itself as SEQR lead agency so that they can start the SEQR process. Member Zajac stated that the Applicant said that the seed that is going to be used needs to be trimmed 3-4 times, but the proposal states maintenance is two times a year. Mr. Van Slyke responded that it depends on the seed mix and area as well as growth rates. Mr. Van Slyke stated that his team will look at the landscape plan that the landscape designer gave them. They would like the foliage to grow so that it can hold the soil but not get too tall or start to cause soiling on the panels and shade. Member Zajac reiterated that no matter what the mix, he believes two times a year will not be adequate. 7