OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Eamon Riley, Business Development Manager from Erie Coast Solar, fielded questions from members of the public at a recent Sheridan Town Board meeting.

SHERIDAN — Members of the public packed the meeting room of the Sheridan Town Board for the purpose of discussing a proposed solar energy project in the town.

After a lengthy public hearing regarding the Erie Coast Solar project’s environmental assessment review document, the Town of Sheridan scheduled another public hearing regarding the overall proposed project. The public hearing is scheduled for June 14 at 6 p.m., prior to the next regular meeting of the Town Board.

The Town Board had no objections to the environmental assessment review and accepted the document at its most recent meeting. Board member Richard Feinen abstained from the vote, while every other member voted in favor of accepting the environmental assessment review.

Eamon Riley, Business Development Manager from Erie Coast Solar, fielded questions from members of the board and the public for approximately 30 minutes of a public hearing prior to the regular meeting. Riley then addressed more comments during the public comment portion of the regular meeting.

Members of the public shared concerns that ranged from the noise, potential glare, and materials of the project, maintenance of the project, the number of parcels of land the project is utilizing, the amount of trees disturbed, and the disruption of the habitat of the long-eared bat. As part of the environmental review, the clearing of any trees will be done with a time restriction in place.

Multiple members of the public also asked about decommissioning of the project and its useful life. Riley noted a recycling plan is in discussion with the state, and noted a useful life timeline of approximately 30-40 years project. Riley explained that Nexamp, the owner of the proposed solar project, intends to hold the project for its entire duration.

Riley also noted how the project was re-designed to follow town’s code requirements. “We changed the project and flipped it around as per (the town’s) recommendation. Our original submission had a variance in it … and we changed it around so it was within the code requirement,” Riley said.

Regarding the other proposed solar project in the town, the SunEast Kingbird Solar project, a public hearing has not yet been scheduled. Representatives were also in attendance at the recent meeting, but the town was not satisfied with the information provided at the time.