A proposed solar array expansion in a Presque Isle neighborhood is sparking opposition from nearby homeowners.
After several residents spoke out against the project at the Presque Isle City Council meeting Wednesday, councilors considered whether to enact a moratorium on all solar facility construction.
The pushback was against a proposal by Hari Achuthan of Convalt Energy, an international company with an office in East Millinocket, to expand an existing solar farm at 65 Longview Drive, which is in the suburban residential zone.
The property was purchased by Kevin Kinney sometime in 2021 and now belongs to Longview Drive Estates of Mapleton, according to city tax maps. The solar array was first installed about four years ago, when commercial solar facilities were permitted in the suburban area.
But in June 2024, the council voted not to permit any more solar farms in that zone. Achuthan has appealed to the Presque Isle Zoning Board for an exception to that rule. The hearing is slated for Tuesday, March 11.
During the council meeting, residents argued the current structure is an eyesore and threatens the environment, and they don’t want it enlarged.
“As you may know, there are some people trying to sneak a new solar array in from State Street down to Longview Drive,” Longview Drive resident Richard Engels said during the public comment period. “As you drive down Carmichael Street and some of the other streets in town, you’ll see how ugly these solar arrays are. Yeah, solar power is good, but I don’t think the citizens should have to put up with it next door.”
Tim Vernon, who also lives on Longview, said the serene view he and other neighbors enjoyed before the solar farm was built is now gone. In addition, the facility’s owner plowed snow and debris onto his property, he said.
He fears his and other people’s property will be devalued if the solar farm expands, and also wonders about chemicals leaching into groundwater if owners bury the panels when they’ve outlived their usefulness.
Neighbor Jim Carter was concerned for local wildlife, including a herd of deer known to inhabit the nearby woods off Longview.
Rather than allowing solar in residential areas, available land should be used to provide more housing in an area that sorely needs it, said Rick Duncan, who lives on State Street near Longview Drive and also raised environmental concerns.
“I believe solar generation is power that we need, but only if it’s located in the proper places — places that are less obtrusive and cause the least amount of aesthetic damage as possible,” he said.
Since last June, solar farms have not been permitted in Presque Isle’s suburban residential zones, City Manager Tyler Brown said. The appeal filed with the zoning board would grant an exception to that rule.
The council debated whether a moratorium on solar farms was necessary.
It’s hard to tell someone what they can and can’t do on land that they own, Councilor Doug Cyr said. Rather than deciding on a moratorium right away, the group should examine zoning regulations to understand what is allowed and where.
Councilor Craig Green said he was the one who asked for the moratorium, mostly to ensure that good agricultural land didn’t wind up in commercial solar entities.
“I don’t want to see any more farmland [that is] salable, usable farmland to go into use for solar, because there’s plenty of land that’s fallow, not good, that no one would care about that you could use for that kind of thing,” he said.
The problem isn’t with homeowners who want to put panels on their roofs, but with large commercial arrays, according to Green. He said the council should have a deep discussion before allowing any more solar sites within city boundaries.
Councilor Hank King suggested having the zoning and planning boards, together with the council, meet to figure out the best way to handle the proposed expansion, taking residents’ concerns into account.
The council took no action on the solar moratorium idea.