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Hatfield ZBA to Rule on Solar Farm Permit



It was dueling lawyers Wednesday night before the Hatfield Zoning Board. Boston Lawyer Diane Tillotson for Citizens Energy locked horns with Northampton attorney Michael Pill.  Pill represents abutters appealing a building permit recently issued for a large solar array near the center of town. Citizens Energy, the non-profit headed up by Joe Kennedy, wants to build a 2.4 megawatt solar electricity plant in the historic landscape near the village center. It's doing business locally as Hatfield Solar LLC. The group last fall had a planning board application on the table but withdrew it when it appeared headed for failure. Now Tillotson argues the solar plant is not bound by local zoning and only needs a building permit to move forward. The lawyer says an existing Hatfield zoning law that limits solar manufacturing to industrial zones is not relevant to the Citizens Energy project.  Her interpretation of state law says solar arrays can be built anywhere in Hatfield without having to going through the planning board. The proposed site at 45 Chestnut Street is owned by the successful Szawlowski farm family.  It's zoned rural residential. Attorney Pill maintains the town's zoning code does indeed have jurisdiction over industrial-scale solar. He argues the building permit was given in error.  He says Citizens severely lowballed the cost of the project to keep building permit fees and taxes down. For that reason alone, he said, the permit should be revoked. Pill made other arguments, including questioning the impartiality of the  Zoning Board. The Zoning Board closed the public hearing last night after two hours of discussion and promised a ruling at their next meeting.


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Topics : Environment
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Locations : Northampton
People : Diane TillotsonJoe KennedyMichael Pill
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