Laura Glesby Photo
Attorney Stuart Margolis, right: We'll help planet, not kill grass.
As the planet baked and record temperatures were recorded nationwide, Hamden zoners delayed an apartment complex owner from installing solar panels — due to concerns about … shrubbery.
That happened Tuesday night at a meeting of the Hamden Planning and Zoning Commission.
Representatives of the solar panel company PurePoint Energy appeared before the commission seeking permission to install carport solar panels above parking spaces at the Chestnut Hill apartment complex at 835, 865, 905, 925, 955, and 975 Mix Ave.
Franklin Communities, the property owner at Chestnut Hill, contracted PurePoint to apply for the solar panels. According to PurePoint Operations Manager David Yakerson, the panels would send energy to the local tenants and car chargers by way of the broader electrical grid. The solar panels would spring from both T‑shaped and semi-T-shaped structures, as depicted below.
The planned solar energy installation at Chestnut Hill would create an alternative energy source to fossil fuels with high greenhouse gas emissions that are seen as a prime contributor to rising global temperatures. As communities across the country experienced record-high temperatures this week, scientists have attributed the extremity of the heat waves to climate change.
As Attorney Stuart Margolis presented these plans to the zoners, Commissioner Robert Cocchiaro asked about how the solar panels would impact the parking lot’s landscaping — and how the designers plan to replace any lost greenery.
“The first effort is to see if we can maintain the landscape” beneath the panels, said Margolis.
“I don’t think there should be a concern about the grass, because grass does grow in the shade,” offered Yakerson.
Cocchiaro wasn’t satisfied. Planting new grass seed that could thrive in shade “would be a start,” he said, “but I’d like to see more.” He suggested including other “shrubs” in the mix.
Commissioners Elbert and Cocchiaro press for more details.
Commissioner Charles Elbert asked about lighting beneath the panels. “It’s going to be pretty dark,” he said.
“There will be lighting,” Margolis promised.
After the meeting, Yakerson clarified that his company plans to install lights on the columns holding up the solar panels, illuminating the area below. He stressed that Franklin Properties has been especially attentive to safety, from the strength of the lights below the panels to snow guards preventing the ground from becoming icy.
“You probably already have these details,” Commissioner Michele Mastropetre said during the meeting. “we’re just not seeing them.”
The commission asked Margolis and his team to request a continuance and resubmit materials with landscaping and lighting information included.
The presenters followed suit. They exited the Town Hall, preparing to regroup for their next presentation before the commission in September.
There has been good research about growing crops, not just grass, under elevated photovoltaic panels. And there is evidence that dairy cows’ production can be enhanced under the shade of a photovoltaic array. Hamden zoning commissioners might want to try to do some basic Googling before delaying energy conservation projects. When I read things like this about people in responsible positions, I think maybe we really are doomed.