BARRE – The Barre Town Board on Wednesday approved a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the developer of a 4.5 megawatt solar project on Route 98 near Lime Kiln Road.

AES DE Devco NC is developer of the “Baird Solar Project” on land owned by Joshua Baird, and Jacob and Melissa Monacelli.

The PILOT agreement calls for AES to pay $7,000 per megawatt or $31,500 total for the first year, with 2 percent annual increases over 15 years.

The money will be evenly split in thirds among the Town of Barre, Albion School District and Orleans County – $10,500 each the first year.

The solar arrays will be located at 4360 Oak Orchard Rd., where the developer can tap directly into a 13.2-kilovolt distribution line. The project doesn’t include battery storage.

There will be 14,118 solar panels and they will be surrounded with a 7-foot-high perimeter chain link fence. There will be 40,543 linear feet of low-voltage and 1,258 feet of high-voltage underground wiring. The project also includes a decommissioning plan.

The plan calls for planting 191 deciduous and evergreen trees along with 92 shrubs and pollinators.

The Orleans County Planning Board last month recommended the Town of Barre approve the site plan and issue a permit for the project.

The Baird project is different from the larger 200 megawatt solar project – Hemlock Ridge Solar – proposed by Community Energy for 1,800 acres in Barre and Shelby.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday voted in favor of a proposed 4.5 megawatt solar farm on Route 98 near Lime Kiln Road.

AES DE Devco NC is developer of the project on land owned by Joshua Baird, and Jacob and Melissa Monacelli.

The “Baird Solar Project” will be located at 4360 Oak Orchard Rd., where the developer can tap directly into a 13.2-kilovolt distribution line. The project doesn’t include battery storage.

The site currently is 43.7 acres of farmland and will take 27.11 of active farmland out of production. There will be 14,118 solar panels and they will be surrounded with a 7-foot-high perimeter chain link fence. There will be 40,543 linear feet of low-voltage and 1,258 feet of high-voltage underground wiring. The project also includes a decommissioning plan.

The plan calls for planting 191 deciduous and evergreen trees along with 92 shrubs and pollinators.

The Orleans County Planning Board recommended the Town of Barre approve the site plan and issue a permit for the project.

In other referrals on Thursday, the Planning Board:

• Recommended the Town of Murray approve variances for the Big Guys Camping project at the former Brockport Country Club on the Monroe-Orleans County Line Road in Murray.

In some locations on the property, Big Guys is seeking variances from the 20 feet required for rear and front setbacks, and also is seeking 50-foot lot frontage for RV sites and 30 feet for tent sites when 60 feet are required, per Murray’s code.

The Planning Board in June recommended Murray approve the site plan and issue a permit for the project, which includes three phases, with the first phase 125 full hook-ups and 90 tent sites. Phase two includes 97 more full hook-ups and the third phase is 72 more full hook-ups.

The camping sites will be developed along the existing fairways to preserve as many trees as possible and minimize earthwork, planners said.

• Supported the Town of Gaines request to extend a moratorium on applications for large-scale battery storage systems. The moratorium gives Gaines officials more time to study and develop a local law for the battery storage systems.

• Recommended the Town of Albion approve the site plan and issue a permit for a 4-site private campground at 3440 Transit Rd. Brian and Diane Speers own the property and want to have 4 RV sites for family members.

Eric Watson welcomes sister Angela, who served as construction manager for Habitat for Humanity in Buffalo

Photos by Tom Rivers: Angela Watson and her brother Eric Watson work together at Watson Enterprises, and with a new business, Vanguard Interiors.

BARRE – Eric Watson was looking to add a design specialist and construction manager to his business, Watson Enterprises.

Eric didn’t have to look far for that multi-talented person. His sister, Angela Watson, is stepping into the role, allowing Watson Enterprises to provide more services for customers. The two recently also formed a new company, Vanguard Interiors, for the design services that provide detailed simulations for how a new building or remodel can look, including right down to the furnishings. Angela, 31, uses a CAD program to provide a virtual walk-through of the projects.

“You can see the exact colors,” Eric said. “It eliminates the guesswork. You can see what you’re looking to achieve.”

Angela takes measurements of rooms, cabinets, windows – anything in the space. She puts in the data and can show how it can look, tweaking colors, fabrics and changing the size of some elements.

Customers provide input on the colors and furnishings, and they can see on the design program how the space can look with different paint, furniture and other interior design.

Eric Watson, 33, started Watson Enterprises seven years ago, keeping equipment at a hayfield along Oak Orchard River Road in Ridgeway.

He began building pole barns, and expanded to remodeling homes, and doing excavation work and concrete projects.

Angela Watson shows how she can design a house with a CAD program, showing how the house looks with finishes, color and building materials. Watson said the design would be her dream house, a modern version of a Frank Lloyd Wright style of a home.

The business grew and he moved the operations to his home property in Barre. About two years ago, with the business on an upswing, he built a new office building and storage area on West Lee Road (Route 31A) in Barre. Watson now has nine employees.

His sister joined him in April 2020, following five years as a construction supervisor for Habitat for Humanity in Buffalo. They are both Lyndonville graduates.

Angela led about 20 building projects in Buffalo. She has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and master’s degree in public health. She has a passion for construction and design, and saw a perfect opportunity by joining with her brother.

Angela is back in school at the Interior Design Institute and she is becoming a lighting specialist.

“I’ve always liked building stuff,” she said. “I have a knack for the design portion.”

She also likes the challenge of overseeing a construction project – managing construction crews, coordinating with subcontractors, securing building permits and ordering materials.

Eric is pleased to be working with his sister, who he said adds a new dimension to the business.

“I’ve had really great people in my life,” he said. “It’s the people you surround yourself with, and it’s also tenacity and drive to do better.”

For more on Vanguard Interiors, click here. For more on Watson Enterprises, click here.

Republicans in Barre went to the polls in the largest percentage of the six towns in Orleans County that had primaries.

In Barre, 43.3 percent of registered Republicans voted in person on either Tuesday or through nine days of early voting.

The primary featured two candidates – George McKenna and David Waters – who have shared their concerns about a proposed wind energy project with 33 turbines that would be nearly 700 feet tall. They ran against incumbents Lynn Hill and Tom McCabe, who backed changing the town’s wind energy ordinance to accommodate the project. A state board will ultimately vote on whether the project goes forward. McKenna and Waters are the apparent winners in the primary.

The Barre turnout topped the 36.9 percent in Murray where there is a contentious election for town supervisor, with incumbent Joe Sidonio challenged by Murray Town Councilman Randy Bower, the former Orleans County sheriff. Sidonio holds a 13-vote lead over Murray with absentees to determine the winner next week.

There were primaries for town clerk in Carlton and Ridgeway, a race for town justice in Gaines, and primaries for the Town Board in Ridgeway and Shelby.

Here is the in-person turnout in the six towns.

• Barre: 309 ballots cast out of 713 registered Republicans – 43.3%
• Carlton: 167 ballots cast out of 978 registered Republicans – 17.1%
• Gaines: 194 ballots cast out of 873 registered Republicans – 22.2%
• Murray: 514 ballots cast out of 1,394 registered Republicans – 36.9%
• Ridgeway: 325 ballots cast out of 1,818 registered Republicans – 17.9%
• Shelby: 285 ballots cast out of 1,359 registered Republicans – 21.0%

Josh Jurs named ‘firefighter of the year’

Photo by Tom Rivers: Pictured form left include Barre Fire Chief James Neal; Josh Jurs, the firefighter of the year; Andrew Faskel, who was recognized with the “Chief’s Award”; and Karl Driesel, president of the Barre Fire Company.

BARRE – The Barre Fire Company gave out its annual awards on Thursday evening, in a low-key presentation. The fire company isn’t doing a banquet this year, but still wanted to recognize firefighters on milestone anniversaries and for notable service.

Josh Jurs was recognized as “firefighter of the year.” Jurs, 39, has been a member of the Barre Fire Company for 19 years. He has been much more active with the fire company the past two years.

“He has gone above and beyond,” said Fire Chief James Neal.

Besides responding to numerous calls for the fire company, Jurs has taken on other tasks. He works at Kreher’s Farm Fresh Eggs. He was able to have a copy machine donated from Kreher’s to the Barre Fire Company. Jurs also researched prices for a refrigerator and secured a good deal for the fire company.

“Anything he has been asked to do he has done,” Neal said.

Jurs said he has been more available to volunteer in the past two years after finishing some home repair projects.

“I just like helping the community,” he said.

Andrew Faskel was presented with the “Chief’s Award.” Faskel served as the EMS captain for four years. He also takes on numerous tasks to benefit the fire company, Neal said.

Faskel, 36, joined the Barre Fire Company seven years ago. He moved to Barre from Medina and attended an open house about the possibility of building a new fire hall in Barre. That proposal didn’t pass in a public vote.

But Faskel met many of the firefighters at the open house and decided to join. He was trained as an EMT and firefighter. He has served as EMS captain, which is a very time-consuming role, Neal said.

“When I joined I just wanted to be more involved in the community,” Faskel said. “I just love helping the community.”

Faskel urged others to consider joining the fire company, even if it’s not responding to fires, accidents or EMS calls.

“There are many different roles depending on what you’re comfortable with,” he said. “It could be in administration or the fire police.”

The fire company also presented the “President’s Award” to Judy Kurtz who has been an active member of the “Sunshine Committee.” She visits many members who are ill at home or in the hospital.

“She brings them a ray of sunshine,” said Karl Driesel, president of the fire company.

Some of the members last year were sickened by Covid or other illnesses, Driesel said.

The fire company also recognized firefighters for milestone anniversaries, including Harold Hazel for 50 years, Dale Ostroski for 30 years, and Nic Elliott, Chris Flansburg and Pat Lamka for 10 years.

ALBION – Eight community groups from across Orleans County will be the recipients of the latest round of grants from the Heritage Wind Community Grant Program.

The program supports community organizations in the areas of Building Healthy Communities, Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability, and Promoting Education. The grants total $9,500.

“Orleans County is fortunate to have so many organizations working hard every day to improve their communities and provide for those in need,” said Carmen O’Keefe, development manager with Apex Clean Energy. “Heritage Wind is committed to being a long-term community partner and we are proud to support these important local projects.”

The grant recipients include:

• Orleans Community Health Foundation :$1,000
• Community Action of Orleans and Genesee: $1,000
• Town of Barre (Powering the Park): $2,000
• Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern: $1,500
• Orleans-Recovery Hope Begins Here: $1,000
• Christ Church Community Kitchen: $1,000
• Supportive Care of Orleans: $1,000
• Village of Medina Fire Department: $1,000

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee received a grant for their “Planting the seeds of hope” project, which will build a community greenhouse at their offices in Albion

“This money comes at a perfect time,” said Annette Finch, director of Community Services. “Community Action will be purchasing vegetable starter plants and handing them out at our Food Pantry sites to teach customers how to plant and harvest vegetables for their use. Community Action is very pleased for this wonderful donation.”

Supportive Care of Orleans received support for upgrades to paths in their Memorial Garden. Associate Director Douglas E. Sommerfeldt accepted the grant on behalf of the organization saying, “We would like to graciously thank Apex Clean Energy for the grant received. The grant will allow the organization to enhance our Memorial Garden, which is a valuable asset to our patients, families and community.”

The Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern received a grant to help youth learn the importance of investing in their futures through their “Just Friends” program.

“The Ministry of Concern is delighted that Apex Clean Energy/Heritage Wind is funding our innovative approach to helping low-income youth learn the essentials of how money can work for them, not just how they can work for money,” said Executive Director Nyla Gaylord. “Five youth in our Just Friends program will learn how to get and keep a job, and how to make and save money for the future. This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people. We believe that this pilot project will help us pass on the key concepts of how money can be used to achieve personal goals as well foster an entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation.”

The Medina Fire Department was awarded a grant to help purchase and distribute carbon monoxide directors to community members.

“The Village of Medina Fire Department would like to thank Apex Clean Energy and Heritage Winds for funding this grant,” said Medina Fire Department Captain Mike Young. “This grant will help us to expand our fire prevention and life safety program by allowing us to provide free carbon monoxide detectors to those residents who do not have any. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States, and it is our mission to educate our community on the importance of having a carbon monoxide detector. This grant money will go a long way towards helping us to achieve this goal.”

Other grant recipients included the Town of Barre to support the efforts to electrify the town park; The Orleans Community Health Foundation to help upgrade phlebotomy lab facilities; Orleans-Recovery Hope Begins Here to sponsor their “Celebrate Orleans Recovery Day” event, which will take place at Bullard Park in Albion in September; and Christ Church Community Kitchen, to support the purchase of food and supplies for some of the up to 9,000 meals served on a yearly basis to area residents.

The community grant program will open an additional round of grant funding this fall to be awarded before the end of the year. To learn more or apply for a future grant, click here.

Bob Nesbitt earned the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Beth Nesbitt of Pine Hill, widow of the late Bob Nesbitt, holds a picture of her husband in his dress white Navy uniform. Bob died of cancer at the age of 66.

BARRE – Many Veterans’ and Memorial Day holidays have come and gone since World War II ended, but never has Bob Nesbitt been given the recognition he deserves, according to his cousin Charlie Nesbitt of Albion.

Charlie is a war hero, having been presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Still, he thinks Bob should be given credit for his actions as a torpedo bomber pilot for the Navy in the Pacific during World War II.

Bob’s dad and Charlie’s grandfather were brothers. In Charlie’s eyes, Bob is an unsung hero.

Bob was born in 1919. He met, Beth, who was J. Howard Pratt’s daughter, at a 4-H function. By the time the war started, they were dating. She wrote to him regularly while he was serving with the Navy. They were married on Dec. 7, 1946 and had seven children. Beth will celebrate her 101st birthday on Aug. 7.

Bob grew up working on the family farm with his younger brothers Pete and Lynn Nesbitt.

Pete still lives on the family farm on Pine Hill Road, next door to Beth, who lives there with her daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Larry Eastlack. Pete said flying was always in their blood. Bob learned to fly in a Piper Cub on Pete Dragan’s farm south of Albion.

With the late Gene Haines, they started Pine Hill Airport. Pete said Hank Keeler of Albion and Chet Zelazny of Shelby were partners in the airport for a while.

Larry said he heard Bob tell he had to drive back and forth to Niagara Falls Air Force Base when he was in the Reserves after the war, and he figured if he had a landing strip, he could fly back and forth. Pete remembers when he and Haines were out with tractors and a cultipacker packing down the snow so Bob could land. Larry also said he had been told stories of how Bob would buzz the house when he returned home, and that was Beth’s signal to drive next door to the airport and park at the end of the runway with her lights on, so Bob knew where to land.

Bob and Pete were both Navy pilots, Bob enlisting in the Army Air Corps in the summer of 1942. Pete joined 12 years later, serving in peace time from 1954 to 1958.

“The places Bob bombed into submission during World War II, I visited 12 years later as a tourist,” Pete said.

Pete said his brother was very mechanical and started as a Naval Aviation Cadet in Meadville, Pa. He did his pre-flight training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he held the record on the obstacle course.

Bob never talked much about the war, Pete said.

Bob was 22 when he enlisted, which was considered “old” for a pilot at the time, Pete said.

“The guys in his group called him ‘Daddy,’” Pete said.

Pete Nesbitt of Pine Hill looks at pictures and a story about his brother Bob in a squadron yearbook about Navy pilots in World War II. Bob was a torpedo bomber pilot in the Pacific.

Bob flew TBM’s off the carrier Hancock.

Bob talked about his wingman who knocked on his door one night and said, “I can’t sleep. I know one of those shells has my name on it.”

“Bob said he saw 20-year-old guys’ hair turn white in two months,” Pete said.

Another member of his squadron was actor Richard Boone.

Bob’s squadron had orders to go to Tokyo on a bombing mission. Bob was the last one to be launched off the ship and couldn’t catch up with his group. But he headed to Tokyo and joined the flight of TBMs along the coast. They were in a thin broken layer of overcast, and when they broke out, they were lined up perfectly with a Jap battleship in the harbor.

Bob dove in and dropped four 500-pound bombs on the ship, sinking it. His gunner said the bombs bounced before they exploded.

This picture of Bob Nesbitt in his Navy uniform during World War II sits on his brother Pete’s end table in his Pine Hill home. A torpedo bomber pilot in the Pacific, Bob earned two Navy Crosses for his heroism during the war.

Bob was infamous for his tactics, especially flying so low over the water. It may have been what kept him safe, as Charlie recalled being a torpedo bomber pilot was considered very dangerous. At the time Bob enlisted, 135 torpedo bomber pilots had been lost in combat. Bob used to skim a few feet off the water and he would be so low, the Japanese gunners on the deck of a ship would shoot right over him.

Bob used to brag about doing barrel rolls around the other planes landing in the formation. All in all, he spent one year in combat.

Larry talked about how Bob said he wanted to be the first American soldier to set down on Japanese soil. He was on a bombing run and saw a bombed out airport, but it was still occupied. Bob, however, dropped down and touched the runway and took off, all the while being shot at by the Japanese

“True or not, that was Bob’s story,” Larry said. “Bob had no reason to exaggerate.”

Larry said he has always looked at the aspect of what women did during the war. While Bob was bombing ships in the Pacific, Beth was working at a gun-making factory in Buffalo – seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

“Her job was to make sure the gun sights were accurate,” Larry said. “Bob could have been looking through gun sights that his wife checked out in Buffalo.”

Bob always said the reason he flew so low on a mission is because he wanted to be sure his bomb landed right where he wanted it. Larry said Bob was credited with destroying a refueler, and his bombs hit directly on the fuel tanks. Bob later said the blast nearly downed his plane.

Bob would be awarded two Navy Crosses for his heroism in battle. He was nominated for a third, but told the Navy to give it to someone else. The Navy Cross is the second-highest award given to sailors or marines, just a level below the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Navy Cross is given to soldiers who show extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force.

Larry told the story of how, years after the war, Pete and Bob went to a military banquet in Philadelphia, where the speaker was an ace pilot from the Rochester area. During his speech, the pilot said he was up there talking about his actions as a pilot, when there was another ace who lived in Western New York who should be mentioned. He asked if anybody there had ever heard of Bob Nesbitt.

One of Larry’s fondest memories is the time in the early 1980s when Bob flew him and Nancy to Philadelphia to visit a Navy yard. An aircraft carrier there was waiting to be dismantled and Bob went to the guard shack and asked what the name of the ship was. It was the Hancock.

“I thought Bob was going to go into shock,” Larry said. “The guard wasn’t supposed to, but he made an exception and took us on a tour of the ship. Bob got to make one last tour of the ship he served on before it was reduced to scrap iron.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Firefighters cut through the roof of a house at Rice Homes off Route 98, to ventilate the structure. The house is next to this camper.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 8:48 p.m. for reports of a structure fire. The occupant of the house was cooking bacon and the fire started in the kitchen. Orleans County fire investigators are at the scene to officially determine the cause.

The man in house was able to safely get outside but Barre Fire Chief James Neal said a dog died in the fire.

The house suffered water and smoke damage, and Neal said it appears the contents are all ruined.

The man who lives at the house has a burn on his hand, and some minor injuries with cuts and scrapes.

Albion, Barre and Medina firefighters responded to the scene, as well as the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the State Police.

Press Release, American Bird Conservancy

A proposed wind energy facility in Orleans County, New York, is among the first projects proposed under the state’s new renewable energy development law.

This law ignores well-established best practices that would minimize impacts to birds, despite outcry from bird conservation organizations. Regulations to implement the law went into effect in March 2021, and developers are clamoring to shift to the streamlined permitting process.

“The Orleans County project is located in a major migratory pathway for birds, and adjacent to a high-biodiversity wetland complex that supports nesting Bald Eagles and many rare species,” said Joel Merriman, American Bird Conservancy’s Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign Director. “The project poses a high risk to birds, but the state’s new regulation may mean it’s on a glide path to approval.”

The wetland complex adjacent to the proposed Heritage Wind project site encompasses Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, as well as Oak Orchard and Tonawanda Wildlife Management Areas. Together, these properties and adjacent habitat are designated an Important Bird Area by National Audubon Society, as well as being identified as an important area for many species of concern, including the Sedge Wren, Short-eared Owl, and Black Tern, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that this area is a major migratory pathway for songbirds.

“It’s a bad place for wind turbines, plain and simple,” Merriman said. “It’s really unfortunate — this conflict could have been avoided, had the developer kept turbine locations away from this incredibly important area.”

After the Bald Eagle population crashed nationwide due to the effects of the pesticide DDT, the state worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to release young eagles at “hack sites,” including at the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area.

“This area played an important historical role in re-establishing Bald Eagles in the state,” Merriman said. “Bald Eagles are particularly vulnerable to collisions with wind turbines, so it seems both tragic and ironic that this project should be proposed right at the edge of this important site.”

“New York has been a champion for birds in many arenas,” Merriman continued. “But where wind energy development is concerned, the pendulum has swung entirely too far. I understand wishing to speed the project review process, but in this case, far too much would be sacrificed.”

A hearing for the New York Heritage Wind project will take place on May 20 and written comments can be sent via email until May 21. ABC urges those concerned about the project’s threat to birds to voice their concerns at the hearing and share their written comments before the deadline.

“We need renewable energy to combat climate change,” Merriman said. “But we must not let our shared sense of urgency overwhelm our responsibility to protect vulnerable bird populations.”

About the American Bird Conservancy

American Bird Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Lance Mark, Barre town attorney, responds to a question during last week’s Town Board meeting, which included a public hearing on a local law for solar energy systems. Town Supervisor Sean Pogue is in back next to Town Clerk Maureen Beach.

BARRE – The Town Board has proposed a local law for solar energy systems that doesn’t require setbacks for contiguous parcels with the solar projects.

Barre is proposing 50-foot setbacks from property lines of adjacent landowners without solar panels.

The southwestern part of the town near the wildlife refuge is being considered for an 1,800-acre solar project that would include part of the neighboring town of Shelby.

Community Energy wants to build a 200-megawatt project, Orleans Solar LLC. The company said it expects to submit a formal application next month to the state’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES). The state agency has the final say in approving the projects, but is expected to see how the projects fit with local zoning laws.

Barre officials say their local law is intended to facilitate solar projects while minimizing impacts on neighboring properties.

Two residents last week urged the town to require bigger setbacks from neighboring property – 250 feet instead of 50 feet. The projects would have to be 250 feet away from a neighboring structure. The solar panels need to be at least 100 feet away from buildings on the same lot.

Mark Lindberg and Charles McAllister said the solar arrays should be farther away from the next-door neighbors.

“It’s an industrial installation,” McAllister said during a public hearing last week at Barre Town Hall.

McAllister and Lindberg said the 50-foot setback would limit the neighbors in hoe the use their property. For example, neighbors of the projects – with only a 50-foot setback – could later decide to build on their property and could have the solar panels closer to a new structure than 250 feet.

Another resident responded the 250-foot setback from neighbors’ property lines would require a bigger footprint for the project, with companies needing to lease more land. The 50-foot setback is also consistent with the zoning guidelines in many other communities.

Lindberg said the solar panels are “ugly” and should be farther from neighbors than 50 feet, and also need to be adequately screened. That doesn’t mean a row of “scrawny trees,” Lindberg told town officials during the public hearing.

The solar companies are spending “millions and millions of dollars” on large-scale solar projects and can afford to have berms, shrubs, trees and fencing, Lindberg said.

Town Supervisor Sean Pogue said the review process with the state, including the Department of Environmental Conservation, requires companies to do visual impact studies and do visual screening “to the maximum extent possible.”

The town’s proposed zoning update will be reviewed this evening by the Orleans County Planning Board, which is expected to offer recommendations.

Town attorney Lance Mark acknowledged the state through ORES could disregard the town’s local law for setbacks and other regulations for the projects.

“Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of influence with ORES,” Mark said.

But Lindberg said the town should still put in the local law protections for the community, including the neighboring property owners.

“We can say this is what we want, even if they squash us like a bug,” Lindberg said about the state agency.

Some other highlights of the local law:

• The zoning code also sets the maximum height of the solar panels to 12 feet, measured from the base of the solar rack to the top of the rack. However, the town has the authority to increase that height by 8 more feet if viewed as necessary “to accomplish the purposes they are intended to serve.”
• Perimeter fencing also shouldn’t exceed 7 feet in height.
• Solar installations need to be at least 120 feet from any public roads (measured form the center of the road), and 500 feet from all property lot lines from schools or parks.
• Solar company needs to maintain a decommissioning bond throughout the life of the project at 125 percent of the decommissioning cost.
• The company needs to enter into a host community agreement with the town and pay Barre an annual fee to compensate the town “for expenses or impacts on the additional agreements with the applicant as may be necessary to protect the town and its citizens’ interest (E.G., separate road use, or decommissioning agreement).” The host community agreement shall be in addition to any payment in lieu of taxes which may be authorized to be collected by the town.
• Barre also will require the solar energy companies to have an escrow agreement to pay the town’s costs for engineering and environmental review and legal expenses for the projects.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Barre town officials don’t think the 150,000-gallon water tank behind the firehall on Route 98 is adequate for the entire town for water pressure and possible expansion of the water system on the western side, linking with Shelby.

BARRE – The Town Board last week approved a $500,000 bond resolution for Water District No. 10. That project, estimated at $1,101,000, includes a $601,000 grant from Rural Development through the federal USDA.

The property owners in the district will pay off the debt on a $500,000 bond over 38 years. The district will be just over 4 miles with 23,350 linear feet of 8-inch water main, valves, hydrants and appurtenances and includes Angevine, McNamara and Transit roads.

The district includes 83 people. The district will connect to existing water mains in Barre at Water District No. 3 near the intersection of Oak Orchard Road and Angevine Road, as well as Water District No. 4 near the intersection of East Barre Road and Angevine Road.

The Town Board expects to send the project out to bid in a few months and hopefully the project will be complete before next winter, said Town Supervisor Sean Pogue.

The water for the new district comes from the Village of Albion, with the district expected to use 5,425 gallons per day. The village bills Barre $2.96 per 1,000 gallons and the town then charged a $5.00 rate with the extra to cover the town’s costs for maintenance, flushing lines and other operational expenses. District users will also be charged an annual fee of $60 to go in a reserve for painting the town’s water tank.

Barre also has a new Water District No. 9 in the Pine Hill area. Pogue said the town could do one more district that would loop dead-end mains and also include property in Sheelar Road and the part of the muck known as “White City.” The town will collect income surveys in that area to see if the district will qualify for federal grants and loans.

Water District No. 11 would be a less expensive project if that district could tie into mains from the Town of Elba. However, Elba is served by the Monroe County Water Authority and Barre would need permission from the Water Authority as an out-of-district user, which may not be approved, Pogue said.

The town could also add waterlines for Burns Road and connect with Oakfield’s system to cover another remaining piece of the town without public water.

The town’s sprawling water system is primarily served by the 150,000-gallon water tower behind the fire hall. Town officials said that tower doesn’t seem adequate for water pressure for all of the districts. Some of the water lines have low pressure.

Pogue said the town may need a bigger water tower behind the fire hall or a second water tank on the western side of the town. If there was a second water tower in the Pine Hill area, that could give Shelby an option to link with the Barre system. Barre owns land on Pine Hill Road at one of the tallest spots in Orleans County.

“It’s still in its infancy right now,” Pogue said about a possible new water tank. “It’s all talk right now.”

If the town pursued that water tank in Pine Hill, Barre should have an engineering report that would cost $30,000 to $35,000. That report would be needed for the town to pursue grants for the project, Pogue said.

“We don’t have that kind of money right now,” he said.

Barre has reached out to Shelby and the Village of Albion about contributing to the engineering report. The tank would serve Shelby if it interconnected with the Barre system, with the water coming from the Village of Albion’s water plant.

BARRE – The Barre Town Board will be opening up its meetings to the public for in-person attendance again starting this Wednesday, April 14.

There is a public hearing at 6 p.m. on proposed solar law changes followed at 7 p.m. with a Town Board meeting.

“Accommodations have been made for a limited number of people to attend,” said Town Supervisor Sean Pogue. “All in attendance must follow proper CDC and NY state health guidelines. Masks are mandatory and must cover the nose and mouth simultaneously at all times.”

Others will still be able to watch and comment on YouTube. The link is posted on the town website (click here).

“There is also the ability to listen in by calling 585.589.5100, push 5, push 4, 3, 2, 1, # on your phone,” Pogue said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Firefighters check the back of a house at 4591 Kams Rd. A fire damaged the exterior of the back of the house, but  was stopped from spreading very far into the interior of the house.

Barre, Medina and East Shelby firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 1:39 p.m. The fire was up the back side of the house and into the eaves and attic. Firefighters went inside with a hose up the stairs and into the attic, and knocked down the fire.

Barre Fire Chief James Neal said the interior damage was limited to the attic. Fire investigators were on scene to try to determine the cause.

The siding melted on the house.

Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke opens up a fire hydrant on Kams Road.

Press Release, Heritage Wind

BARRE – The Heritage Wind Community Grant Program is now accepting applications for its Spring 2021 grant cycle.

The program provided more than $20,000 last year to support local organizations working to build healthy communities, increase environmental sustainability, foster economic development, and promote education, including the following: Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance (COVA), United Way of Orleans County, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, Supportive Care of Orleans, Medina Central School District, Barre Volunteer Fire Department, Christ Community Kitchen, Arc of Genesee/Orleans, Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum, Orleans Community Health Foundation and the Barre Historical Committee.

Grants are typically awarded in $250 to $4,000 increments, with priority given to proposals that demonstrate meaningful impacts to the greatest number of area residents. We will be accepting applications until April 25 on our website (click here).

The focus areas for the Heritage Wind Community Grant Program are as follows:

• Building Healthy Communities – Programs that support public health, good government, open communication, citizen resources, and/or enhance the quality of life in the community.
• Economic Development – Apex Clean Energy supports and encourages the entrepreneurial spirit. It is part of our mission to serve as a catalyst for economic opportunity and development within the communities where we operate.
• Environmental Sustainability – Programs that possess a strong link to environmental revitalization, sustainability, or education thereof, empower residents to be stewards of the environment, and/or encourage partnerships to address environmental concerns and sustainability.
• Promoting Education – Programs that support educational institutions, the advancement of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and training programs for careers in the wind industry. This may include curriculum development, literacy, school readiness, and other initiatives that help students grow into young leaders. Vocational training institutions that help build a skilled workforce are also included and encouraged to apply.

Local organizations working in the Town of Barre or the broader Orleans County community are encouraged to apply. If you have any questions about the grant program, please contact Brian O’Shea at brian.oshea@apexcleanenergy.com or by phone at (952) 393-2986.

Town Board deems large wind turbines don’t pose significant environmental impact

BARRE – The Town Board, in a meeting that stretched nearly four hours on Thursday night, approved revisions to the town ordinance for wind turbines.

One big change increases the maximum height of the structures from 500 to 700 feet.

The board passed the changes to the town ordinance and approved the SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review Act), stating the ordinance doesn’t have significant environmental impacts.

The board voted on the local law and SEQR despite objections from Town Board member Kerri Richardson, who asked at about 10:15 p.m. that the meeting be adjourned until next week to give the board more time to discuss the local law and the SEQR.

Richardson said she and other board members were tired as the meeting stretched on last night. She also wanted to get home to her 2-month-old baby. Adjourning the meeting would allow the board members to all be able to “think clearly,” she said.

“We could meet again next week,” she said. “I’m not trying to hold this up.”

The other board members – Town Supervisor Sean Pogue, and council members Margaret Swan, Lynn Hill and Tom McCabe – said they wanted to continue discussing the local law and SEQR last night, without putting it off any longer.

Richardson said she was disappointed by the lack of “courtesy” from the other members and she left the meeting at about 10:20 p.m.

Before she left, Pogue told her being an elected official sometimes requires going “above and beyond.” That rankled Richardson, who noted she gave birth about two months ago with the baby born seven hours after she was at a town meeting.

The other board members stayed and voted on the new ordinance and the SEQR. The meeting ended at 10:47 p.m.

Pogue abstained from voting because he said there is a perception he is conflicted with the turbines, with his girlfriend’s family standing to gain financially. Pogue noted during the meeting the family turned down a $3,000 a year lease to have a transmission line go through the property.

Apex Clean Energy wants to build Heritage Wind in Barre, a project with 33 turbines that would generate 184.8 megawatts at full capacity. The turbines would be a maximum 680 feet high from the base of the unit to the tip of unit’s longest blade. Those turbines would be more than 200 feet higher than the ones in the Wyoming County wind energy projects.

Richardson noted they would be the biggest turbines on land in the country. Their size should warrant closer study of the environmental impacts and other negatives on the community, with noise including “infra-sound”, shadow flicker, the visual impacts and other issues. She said the town should insist on a property value guarantee.

“I think we have some homework to do,” she said in a meeting shown live through YouTube.

She said she is also concerned the law doesn’t set a limit on the number of turbines in the town. There may be more than the 33 proposed by Apex in the future.

Pogue said the issue has been thoroughly discussed by the town for about three years. He said the wind energy ordinance is modifying one from 2008.

The town ordinance could very well be pre-empted through Article 10 of the NYS Public Service Law and the new 94-C of the NYS Executive Law. The state has a Siting Board to review and approve larger-scale renewable energy projects that exceed 25 megawatts. State officials have said they will try to stay within local laws as much as practical but the state could approve the projects, allowing turbines taller than the local ordinance or not adhering to the town’s setback requirements from property lines and residences.

Pogue read many letters from residents during the Wednesday meeting, with many opposing the project and many also stating their support. Some residents said they felt the new ordinance was unduly crafted by Apex officials, with a goal to make the project fit in Barre.

Richardson said that is the perception by many in the town, that Apex officials had too much say in the new ordinance.

Pogue said the Town Board and its consultants, including LaBella Associates in Rochester, put a lot of work into the revised local law.

“We have increased the protections, even greater or more strict than the state allows,” Pogue said.

Some of the regulations proposed for the turbines include:

• Setback distances: The zoning amendments establish setbacks from property lines to be at least 1.5 times the tip height of a turbine from any public roadways or above-ground power lines, and that is for non-participating land owners or those without leases for a turbine as well as participating land owners. For non-participating property owners (those without leases for a turbine company), the turbines would have to have setbacks at least twice the turbine height from the property line.
• Noise: The town’s proposed ordinance states noise shall not exceed 45 dBA of equivalent continuous sound for 8 hours at non-participating structures and 40 dBA at night outside at non-participating structures. The standard is 55 dBA at participating structures and 50 dBA at night for turbines at night on leaseholders’ land. The turbines or Wind Energy Conversion Systems shall not produce human perceptible vibrations inside any non-participating structures that exceed the limits of residential use recommended in American National Standards Institute.
• Height: can not exceed 700 feet as measured from the case of the unit to the tip of unit’s longest blade. The current ordinance caps the turbine height at 500 feet tip height.
• Roads: Companies are encouraged to use existing roadways as much as possible. If that isn’t practical and a access or new roadway is needed, the turbines should be built in a way so they are level with the surrounding environment. The wind turbine company is responsible for damages to public roads during the installation or maintenance of the turbines. The company shall post a public improvement bond prior to the issuance of a building permit. The amount shall be determined by the Town Board.
• Shadow flicker: The Wind Energy Conversion System shall be designed so the shadow flicker from each turbine will not fall on a specific area of a roadway or residential structure for more than 25 hours a year. If a turbines exceeds the 25 hours, it “shall be shut down until the offending condition is remedied,” the ordinance states.
• Construction hours: The construction hours will be limited to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays except in cases of cement pours or component deliveries. Maintenance of the facilities shall be limited to the same time frames, except in cases of emergency.
• Decommissioning: at the end of the useful life or where otherwise necessary an individual turbine may need to be decommissioned or the entire project decommissioned. The applicant or its successors are responsible for decommissioning and all costs associated with it, including removing turbines, blades, nacelles, towers, transformers, above-ground collection cables and poles, permanent meteorological towers and collection substation. Foundation and collection lines buried less than a depth of 36 inches in non-agricultural lands and less than 48 inches in agricultural lands also must be removed. The applicant will post and maintain financial assurance in the amount of the net decommissioning costs, on a per turbine basis, to be determined by a qualified, independent engineer, at the applicant’s expense. The net decommissioning cost shall be updated a year after facility operation and then every fifth year thereafter.
• Restoration: The applicant and its successors that may own and operate the project are responsible for restoration and all costs associated with restoring the project site, including agricultural lands and public roads.

With the SEQR, the board – absent Richardson – said the new ordinance would not have a significant environmental impact on the land, water, air quality, agricultural resources, tourism, open spaces and recreation, and transportation.

The board checked “yes” that the ordinance could have minor or no impact on plants and animals, aesthetic resources, and historic and archeologic resources. The board deemed the law overall would “no significant impacts on environment.”

During a public comment opportunity at the end of the meeting, George McKenna said he didn’t see how the SEQR was approved because of the unknowns with the larger model of turbines. The visual impact, for one, will be dramatic in a flat town, he said.

McKenna said allowing the larger turbines – “these eyesores” – clearly doesn’t support agriculture or tourism. He said the 33 turbines are the height of the St. Louis Arch, with moving parts and lights at night. That, he said, “does not, does not preserve the vistas of countryside”

McKenna and his wife, Iva, are Richardson’s parents. Mrs. McKenna said the board should have adjourned the meeting before the vote out of respect for her daughter, who has a newborn baby.

Mrs. McKenna said the local law allowing the larger turbines will clearly change the rural town.

“We’d have more skyscrapers per square mile in Barre than they do in New York City,” she said.