OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford The Fredonia Planning Board is mulling over a law to govern power-storing battery projects in the village.

The Fredonia Planning Board is working on a law to govern power-storing battery farms in the village.

The board discussed the law during meetings Wednesday and on Feb. 11, and still hasn’t finalized it. It will continue hashing it out at meetings in March. The village Board of Trustees has to approve any law that the Planning Board proposes.

A key point during Wednesday’s hour-long discussion about the law was setbacks: how far battery arrays are “set back” from nearby structures.

Planning Board Chairman Brian Luce wanted setbacks of more than 100 feet. “I’m willing to accept national fire standards and say there’s probably a reason they picked 100 feet,” responded board member Dave Fridmann.

If officials think an individual project could be a fire hazard to areas more than 100 feet away, they can increase the setbacks for that project, Fridmann added.

Charles LaBarbera, the village’s chief coed officer, commented that contaminants from a battery fire would be of more concern than the fire itself.

Luce said he was not locked into a number, suggesting 250 feet, but adding he is sure 100 feet is not enough. Fridmann said 250-foot setbacks would severely limit the parcels available to battery power storage projects.

Board member Scott Mackay favored 250 feet, stating that we can’t be sure of the capabilities of future batteries.

In the end, no decision was made because board members want Fire Chief Joshua Myers to comment on the issue.

“I thought I was being ultraconservative in (advocating) 100 feet,” Fridmann said.

The Planning Board also indicated Wednesday that it wants the law to assure that project managers will not be able to abandon their properties.

Fridmann said that “as good stewards of the community,” village officials ought to put such stipulations in individual site plans.

He said energy companies need to help fund municipalities’ decommissioning efforts when projects wrap up.