Commission approves ground‑mount solar array for church parsonage at 6 Broad Street, subject to planning review

The Hollis Historic District Commission on June 4 approved application HDC2026‑015 to install a ground‑mount solar array at the parsonage on property owned by the Congregational Church of Hollis, subject to planning‑board approval.

Michael Seacules, representing Roger Saunders and the church and identifying himself as the church's former board chairman, introduced the project and clarified the array would serve the parsonage rather than the church building. "It's the parsonage," Seacules said, noting the array would connect to the meter on the parsonage account.

Installer and presenter Mike Levitt said the array "will be connected to the meter that's on the parsonage," and described a short buried trench from the array to the house. He estimated the system would produce about 13,000 kilowatt‑hours per year. Seacules said the parsonage used about 10,500 kilowatt‑hours last year.

Commissioners discussed visibility and context: members said the array is tucked behind the building and cannot be seen from the road, and therefore could be found to be out of public view. They also discussed potential overgeneration credits and a planned replacement of an oil‑fired water heater with a heat‑pump water heater to increase on‑site usage.

A motion to approve the application with two findings (including that the array is out of public view and not on a historic building) and with the condition that the applicant secure planning‑board approval passed with vocal assent. Commissioners noted planning‑board approval remains a separate requirement and the applicant reported they were on the planning board schedule.

The approval records the technical details presented (buried conduit, estimated annual generation, and prior annual usage) and includes the condition that planning‑board sign‑off is required before full implementation.