Waterville council votes to approve rezoning for Webb Road solar farm (2024)

WATERVILLE — The City Council took a final vote Tuesday to rezone part of 99 Webb Road to allow for a solar farm to be built there.

Property owner Leo St. Peter still must bring a plan for the solar farm to the Planning Board for approval after Novel Energy applies to Central Maine Power Co. for permission to hook into three-phase power at the south end of Airport Road. If CMP grants conditional approval, St. Peter would ask the council for an easem*nt across city property to allow Novel Energy to build an access road and install utility poles between the proposed solar farm and Airport Road.

The council approved the rezoning in a 7-0 vote after Councilor Ken Gagnon, D-Ward 5, said he visited the Webb Road property earlier Tuesday and he thought what St. Peter wants to do seems reasonable. But Gagnon said he spoke with people who live on Webb Road and said they have problems with other solar farms, especially one located at the city’s airport.

“We’re going to have to take a hard look at it because it doesn’t seem like it was done well,” Gagnon said.

He said the people on Webb Road said they didn’t want him to vote to approve rezoning for the 99 Webb Road solar farm proposal because there are already enough solar farms in the neighborhood. Gagnon said he then spoke with them some more about the proposal and they were OK with it.

City Manager Bryan Kaenrath said the city is aware of the issues with the solar farm at the airport. Those issues, he said, include replanting and drainage issues, and the city is working on those. Gagnon said he would love to be part of any meetings held to discuss the matter.

The counciltook a first vote April 3 to rezone part of 99 Webb Road from general industrial to solar farm district to allow St. Peter to develop the solar farm. The Planning Board voted 6-0 on March 26 to recommend the council rezone the property.

St. Peter owns Arbor Technologies LLC and about 27 acres at the site. The narrow strip he wants to rezone is north of a Central Maine Power Co. transmission easem*nt across his land. He and Scott Tempel of Novel Energy Solutions LLC told the Planning Board on April 3 the array would be a 725-kilowatt “solar garden” hooked into a grid, and serve as a subscription base for local people looking to decrease their energy costs.

Before the Planning Board vote March 26, board member April Chiriboga said the site appears to be within the habitat of the upland sandpiper, an endangered, threatened and special concern species. If significant wildlife or endangered species are found on the property, the proposal could be disqualified, she said.

Tempel, a permit specialist for Novel Energy, said a thorough assessment of wildlife, wetlands and vernal pools will be done, as required by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

In other matters Tuesday, the council took the first of two needed votes to adopt a historic preservation ordinance.

The intent of the ordinance is to provide a legal framework to help protect historic, architectural and culturally significant areas, landmarks and sites within their boundaries, and provide available financial and educational resources for restoration work.

Meanwhile, Kaenrath announced to the council that he is disappointed with a proposed 43% increase in the county budget which would mean nearly a $500,000 increase that the city wasn’t anticipating. He said he invited a county commissioner to the council meeting to discuss the budget but he received no response to the invitation. Kaenrath said he will continue to monitor the county budget process.

“It’s just irresponsible,” he said of the budget.

Gagnon said perhaps the city should look to state legislators to be involved in the matter, a sentiment echoed by former Waterville Mayor Karen Heck.

“I totally agree that the delegation, our state Legislature, should be involved in the commissioners’ budget and the amount of money we’re going to spend,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

In an unrelated matter, Heck proposed a concerted effort be launched to address many issues surrounding homelessness, and a plan be developed to do so. She recommended police, the local homeless shelter, food banks, schools, religious organizations and agencies that help people in need be part of the plan. She said she is alarmed at the lack of compassion for homeless people in a community that has for many years worked to make sure people’s needs are addressed.

“I’m hoping that compassion is not a thing of the past,” Heck said. “People don’t choose to be homeless or hungry.”

She said she looks forward to participating in such a plan.

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