East Union planners mull approval of 33 acre solar farm in Phineyville
SHEPPTON – A solar farm in the Phineyville section of East Union Township is moving closer to approval.
The East Union Township Planning Commission considered a land use development application which would allow New Leaf Energy to construct a 33 acre solar farm on the Austra property at 129 Phineyville Road.
The farm would produce five megawatts of power and according to plans submitted to the Schuylkill County Planning Commission, would be located on both sides of Phineyville Road.
It received conditional use approval in 2022 and the developers are seeking approval for a preliminary and final use plan, Zach Klueber, a project manager with ARM Group, engineers for the project.
Klueber said the developers are requesting waivers to allow for the submission of the same plan as both their preliminary and final plan, to allow for a shorter setback than necessary, contending that the front property line is the southern boundary of the Austra property, not Phineyville Road, and for minor slopes on the property.
The life expectancy of the solar farm is about 25 years, and the company has a 20 year lease with four five year extension options, up to 40 years, Shawn Brandt, Senior Project Engineer with New Leaf, told the planning commission.
A glare and noise study was done, which the developers said indicated little impact to neighbors.
The power generated by the facility would go into the local PPL Electric Utilities grid, the developers said.
The planning commission voted to table the matter until next month’s meeting to allow the developer to respond to written comments on the plan from the township’s engineer.
Humboldt Warehouse
In other business, the township gave conditional approval to a land development application for a warehouse along the county line in the Humboldt Industrial Park.
Representatives of Mericle Real Estate sought the permit as well as a waiver request relating to drainage.
The project calls for a 248,000 square foot warehouse at 620-B Oak Ridge Road, split between Hazle Township and East Union Township.
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