LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Solar in Halifax

He is being denied an opportunity to earn an income in a way that improves the community without burdening the community’s resources, like a subdivision would. 

It’s not right. 

He is being told he can’t put something passive, like solar panels, on his property which do not generate significant traffic, make noise, smell or create environmental hazards. 

This Crawford Project will create jobs, provide significant tax revenue that the town does not get to see often and generate power that local Dominion customers could benefit from.

Is the town going to remain stagnant on this rare opportunity? 

Change is uncomfortable but necessary, even in a historic little town like ours. And yes, it’s true that solar panels aren’t always nice to look at, but that shouldn’t distract from the number of benefits they provide. Especially because the Apex-ESA team have committed to a landscape buffer that will hide the panels from view and will use pollinator friendly groundcover and vegetation. 

Also, they have submitted a plan that lays out the steps to safely remove the panels and restore the land at the end of operations, committing to a bond for the town that covers all costs associated with the restoration. Further state approvals for stormwater and erosion and sediment control will be received before they can start any construction. There are wrong ways to do a solar project, but Apex-ESA is doing it right.

The solar project in South Boston that went in front of their town council last month is around the same size as the Crawford Project and complied with all these things that I stated above. The South Boston Town Council unanimously approved this project. What’s the hold up with the Halifax Town Council? There is consistently more support for this project at town council hearings than there are people opposed to it. Why are the supporters not being heard? 

The opportunity for the town to host this project won’t be around forever. In fact, the door to this project is rapidly closing because the program that Crawford Road Solar would be a part of is expected to fill up in a few months and this permit is the last thing keeping the project from entering that program. I know I’m not alone when I say that people in Halifax want progressive, innovative, and economically positive businesses and change, and that citizens should not be denied the ability to bring it about on their own property. 

The Crawford Project meets the criteria for positive change. I hope to see this project approved, and the town to reap its benefits. If you support this project too, please reach out to the Halifax Town Council 

Jennifer Champion 

Clover