It appears the Angelica Town Board is planning no action Monday night on a proposed local law in regard to regulation of battery energy storage systems (BESS), following an outcry by a number of citizens at a public hearing last month and at several previous meetings demanding immediate action to stop placement of such facilities, along with subsequent public disclosure that a Connecticut company entered into a long term lease last fall on property north of Belmont to enable such installation.
The agenda for the 7PM regular monthly meeting in the Grange facility on Park Circle shows only “Update/Discussion: (G. Kelly),” indicating Supervisor Gerard Kelly, followed by a bulleted SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) notation.
The supervisor, prior to the lease disclosure, said it may be September or October before the board takes any action on the proposed local law.
The development site is located along the town’s eastern boundary on Hess Road, immediately adjacent to the northwest intersection of the I-86 interchange at State Route 19.
The town board has been accused of dragging its feet and a lack of transparency in regard to what it knows about a proposed project, with it being revealed that a majority of members had attended an unadvertised meeting with a representative of C-TEC Solar at the Hess Road site in May, which it has refused to provide details about.
It has declared for months that it is opposed to any siting of a BESS facility in the town although the supervisor has said that it may not be able to enact an absolute prohibition.
A long list of objections to the proposed local law were presented to the board at the public hearing, with most indicating a need for strengthening what is being proposed.
State law and guidance indicate that significant changes to what is proposed necessitates a re-starting of the regulation process.
In an additional matter, no agenda action is listed for appointment of a replacement for Council Member Elwyn Gordon, who resigned following the July board meeting. The supervisor said previously that applications were by accepted by the town.
A special meeting of the board is expected to be scheduled for 6PM Tuesday, September 22, in regard to next year’s town budget, with a public hearing on the proposed document at 6:15PM Monday, October 12, prior to the 7PM regular board meeting.