After holding a public hearing on implementing a solar farm moratorium last Monday, the Stafford Town Board voted 5-0 to pass a 9 month moratorium that will prohibit solar farms and solar power plants from being constructed in the Town of Stafford.
The five page moratorium will prevent solar companies from submitting applications for a permit to construct, establish use or operation of any land, body of water, building or other structure within the Town of Stafford for a solar farm or solar power plant.
Several residents spoke in favor of the moratorium.
“There are quite a bit of things we need to study,” says Bernard Corcoran.
“These big panels make solar concentrated, which is quite a bit different. I would like to see us have time to study the issue.”
“I am really for this moratorium to see if there are health implications or monetary implications and how this gives our town’s citizens something, not just a few people,” says Sandra Swanson.
“We need to be able to regulate it,” says Stafford Town Supervisor Robert Clement.
“I don’t want to see a solar farm put on productive farm land.”
“There is some land in Stafford that is not good for anything, in my opinion that’s where a solar farm should be, at the bottom end of productive farmland.”
Clement says he is not planning to create a committee to research the issue. The town is hoping to look into the subject using the Town Board and the Planning Board.
“We tried using a citizens group for the fracking issue and that didn’t work so well.” Clement says unless someone in the town decides to come up with a committee, they will stay with the town board and planning board researching what to do during the 9 month moratorium.