Neighbors press town committee over proposed solar field and construction impacts at school site

Neighbors raised strong objections about construction impacts and the prospect of a ground-mounted solar field during the Town of Cheshire school project committee meeting. Long-time Sharon Drive residents identified in the transcript as Mr. and Mrs. Flag said prolonged noise, dust and truck traffic have made their yard and deck unusable and that the neighborhood has borne months of disruption.

The Flags told the committee they had been ‘‘residents of Sharon Drive for 46 years’’ and said ‘‘we can't use our yard. We can't use our deck … the noise, dust … it's been horrendous,’’ appealing for the committee and town staff to address traffic routing, street sweeping and screening near the construction site.

Committee members and project staff acknowledged ongoing communication with neighbors and said staff have been meeting weekly with the contractor to try to reduce impacts. Staff showed photos the neighbor had sent and described the planned permanent treatment along the school property, including a six-foot slotted wooden fence and tree plantings along the parking lot that will screen parts of the site but not the main entrance line of sight.

The discussion also turned to a separate, district-coordinated solar project. Committee members emphasized that rooftop panels and any ground-mounted array are not part of the construction contract before the committee and that the school district (working with Johnson Controls, the transcript names) is coordinating the solar work. The committee repeatedly said the solar array would need planning-and-zoning approval and that sketches—rather than a formal site plan—had so far been shared with staff.

Neighbors asked whether the panels could be roof-mounted instead of on open ground; committee staff reiterated they had encouraged rooftop placement where feasible but said rooftop square footage limits and aesthetic decisions had led the district to consider both roof and ground options. Staff also urged residents to bring their concerns to the town’s planning-and-zoning process and to the district coordinator named in the meeting materials.

What happens next: the ground-mounted solar concept, as described at the meeting, still requires a formal plan and planning-and-zoning review. Committee staff advised neighbors to direct formal concerns to the district coordinator and to attend the planning-and-zoning hearing once an application is filed. The meeting record shows no approvals for site-mounted solar by the committee at this session.