Few sparks at solar meeting

An informal format and small crowd made for a civil discourse at a public meeting Thursday to discuss two solar farm projects proposed for Elizabeth-town-Kitley Township.

About 50 people turned out for a meeting held at the Spring Valley Hall by the locally owned Upper Canada Solar and project partner Canadian Solar of Mississauga.

They were greeted by an array of display panels providing information about the projects at the northwest corner near Row's Corners and on the County Road 29 test site for Upper Canada Solar.
Representatives from the two solar companies and a consulting firm, Hatch Ltd. of Mississauga, moved around the hall ready to respond to questions and offer information about the proposals.

It was in sharp contrast to a meeting last month at the Cedar Valley Golf Club where Penn Energy representatives provided an open bar and attempted a presentation to a mostly hostile audience of 100 people.

Mike Jordan, spokesman for Upper Canada Solar, was pleased Thursday's meeting proved less divisive.

"Nobody threw tomatoes at us," Jordan joked to a reporter.

To be fair, few people seemed interested in throwing anything larger than a cherry tomato, owing perhaps to the less obtrusive location of both proposed projects.

Several residents from the Row's Corners area expressed concern about the potential impact on local property values from the proposed development, a 75-acre array of solar panels situated on a on 300-acre property opposite Procter and Gamble on Centennial Road (County Road 26).

Jordan acknowledged it is a tough question to answer, but feels there are reasons to believe a negative impact would be negligible.

He said a wetland to the north of the property would be untouched and protected by a buffer zone and the plan is to develop on scrub land between the marsh and a gas pipeline to the south.

A section of the land south of the pipeline falls within Brockville boundaries and the city would receive first right of refusal to purchase if it is not required for the solar farm, he added.

Meanwhile, a perimeter fence surrounding the solar farm would be masked by landscaping, said Jordan.