Planning board approves rooftop solar at 26 Kelly Street, selects conduit option to minimize street views

The Rhinebeck Planning Board approved a special‑use permit for rooftop solar at 26 Kelly Street on April 6, endorsing a conduit routing that minimizes visual impact from the street.

Representatives for owners Ernesto Castillo and Marian Nugan and for Metro Solar presented two conduit options for routing power from 11 roof panels. After a site visit, board members and the project team recommended "option two," which runs the conduit mostly through the attic and uses a short, straight exterior run to reduce visibility from the road. The applicant agreed to paint visible conduit to match the house.

The board completed a SEQR short‑form review (short EAF) and found no significant adverse impacts based on the submitted materials. The board then moved to approve the plan with standard site‑plan conditions, noting three conditions in the draft approval and directing staff to remove option one from the final plan set.

A staff member noted technical routing details: "If it were to go on the interior, [the conduit] basically vanish[s] and then pop back out," which the board said made option two preferable where feasible. The approval directs the planning‑board secretary to provide the approval resolution with next steps and lists the standard requirement that materials submitted to the building department match those approved by the planning board.

The board''s approval documents will include the short EAF findings and the condition that option one be removed from the plan set prior to issuance of approvals.