Selectmen OK Harvey's Solar Project

Selectmen have granted Harvey’s Farm site plan approval for a solar project, the development’s last local board review.

The board’s vote Tuesday night was subject to the conditions presented by the various town departments.

Selectmen closed the site plan review public hearing exactly two weeks earlier. However, a written decision wasn’t available at that time. During that meeting, Building Commissioner Tin Htway noted that some departments had outstanding issues, and “the lion’s share” were resolved that day.

Also at that meeting, attorney Adam Braillard noted that the zoning board of appeals required site plan review in granting a use variance for the roughly 2.24 megawatt project on just under eight acres at 120 South St./7 Maple Ave. in October.

Meanwhile, planning board Chairman Lester Hensley said Tuesday night that a committee has begun reviewing the solar zoning bylaw approved at the October special town meeting.

The bylaw regulates large-scale, ground-mounted, solar photovoltaic installations in Westborough’s industrial and municipal districts while prohibiting them from residential and commercial property.

Hensley noted that the planning board committed to "examine both residential zoning and also perhaps look at our industrial zoning as it relates to setbacks and things like that under certain circumstances."

The study group recently had a "very healthy general discussion about the issues that we face in considering zoning," he said.

The group has begun looking at how the issue is handled elsewhere in the nation, Hensley said.

The next meeting is at 7 a.m. Thursday, he said.