WURTSBORO — It's shining bright for solar farms in Mamakating. Despite the outcry of some residents, the town board voted against halting any large-scale solar energy systems in Mamakating at the most recent board meeting. “The motion does not carry,” said Bill Herrmann, Town Supervisor, after a vote on the proposed moratorium.

Residents who came to the scheduled public meeting were provided with a brief presentation from Cypress Creek Renewables about a potential 19-acre solar farm, Kuhl Solar, LLC., that will be built along Upper Road that looks to power 300 to 500 homes.

Afterwards, the board heard public comments regarding the proposed moratorium on large-scale solar energy systems.

Paula Medley, President of the Basha Kill Area Association (BKAA), spoke on behalf of the BKAA. “Basha Kill Area Association strongly endorses the moratorium on development of large-scale solar projects,” said Medley. The recommendation for a moratorium was suggested at a recent planning board meeting after realizing there were flaws in the current solar laws, according to Medley. “The clear cutting is something we just are very much against...that [wooded] habitat is going to be gone.”

Cecilia Walsh, a resident that lives near the proposed solar farm, was concerned with the storm water runoff coming off the mountain where the proposed solar farm will be installed due to the possibility of increased flooding in an area already prone to flooding.

“I am not opposed to putting solar on a flat piece of land,” Walsh added. “But when you want to put it on a side of a steep mountain that is made of shale, which has already experienced runoff, there's a problem.”

Michael Kuhl, owner of the parcel of land that the solar farm will be built on attended the meeting and stated that in the past the town had fixed the drainage problem with runoff and that the water now drains to Spruce Road.

Schedule changes & the 2018 Budget

Also at the meeting, Herrmann announced some schedule changes for the months of November and December. Please check the town website as the dates get closer for up-to-date information.

Equally important, the board approved the 2018 budget for Mamakating and Herrmann was happy to announce that for this year “We stayed under the tax cap.”

Tax Levy

The board reviewed and approved a resolution to enact a tax levy on six properties. Three of the properties were deemed unsafe and were demolished by the town - the cost will be added on to the tax bills of the owners. The other three properties have not made all the reimbursements to the planning board. As a result, a levy will be put on said properties. The board was unanimous with their decision.

Comprehensive plan

Herrmann spoke to the board during the working session that he has received comments from Sullivan County Planning. After looking over the comments, which he thought were very good, he thought the comments should be incorporated into the comprehensive plan soon. The County, according to Herrmann, explained that their Comprehensive Plan was well done and was very sound in environmental protection. Herrmann hopes to have the plan adopted along with the changes by the end of the year and thanked those who were involved with preparing the plan, which received a round of applause.