Hopatcong: Schools Can't Skip Step Toward Solar Power

The Hopatcong school district moved toward becoming solar powered Wednesday night. But not as quickly as it wanted, and not without taking a few lumps.

The planning board told the district it must ask the zoning board for a land-use variance at its June 8 meeting on the recommendation of William Haggerty, planning board attorney. Haggerty said he believed the project could be seen "as a separate entity" from the schools, "a commercial enterprise."

School Director of Grounds Neil Piro said he'd roll with the board's decision, but had hoped the district wouldn't need the variance.

"If that is what it takes to get things moving, that's fine," he told Patch after the meeting. "If the meeting was at the end of the month, I'd be really disappointed."

Piro said he hoped to start the nine-month project around June 20.

"The sad thing here is, timing is everything, OK?" Piro said. "We have a very short and small window."

The project, which Piro said could save the district $3 million over the 15-year contract, is a partnership between the district, solar power company Sun Edison and SP-One, a solar developer.

Piro said the project will provide the district with reinforced roofs at Durban Avenue School and the Hopatcong Middle School; and energy at .05 cents per kilowatt-hour—almost three times less than its current Jersey Centeral Power & Lights rate of .149. Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranzano has said the district won't pay for anything but energy under the agreement.

Solar panels will go atop Durban Avenue and middle school roofs and on a field, surrounded by 6-foot wire fences, at the Wayne L. Threkeld Sports Complex behind the Hopatcong Senior Citizens Center, Piro said.

"Here is an opportunity for us to take advantage of this property now, at a time when we were in desperate financial situations," Piro said. "And that hasn't changed. And that's not likely to change in the near future."

Planning board members also said they weren't completely satisfied with the amount of information the district provided Wednesday night.

Haggerty said the district should give more information to the zoning board, such as whether there are plans to blast the area, clear it of any trees or anything else while installing conduits at the Sports Complex. (Bill Edwards of Edwards Engineering said there were no plans to blast clear the area of trees.)

"You come here for comments, but there's nothing to comment about," said Ron Jobeless, planning board vice chairman and Department of Public Works superintendent. "You might as well have given me the packet (of information) … and left."

Jason Kliwinski, director of sustainable design at Spiezle Group, defended the presentation.

"This is what we're required to submit to the planning board, according to the Department of Education statues, for your cursory review," Kliwinski said. "This is exactly the documentation that we're required to submit, which we've done. So from a standpoint of what you're asking for, you've gotten what's legally required."

Kliwinski said he wasn't trying to be adversarial. "But I'm here trying to point out what is my understanding, based on past experience and what we've done here tonight," he said.

Planning Board chairman Allen Gilbert also said the district should have provided more detail.

"We are not here to give carte blanche without seeing the information what we feel is necessary to approve. And, basically, I think that's what you're asking us to do," Gilbert said. "A couple of board members have asked to see a site plan or more complete information, but we don't have it."