The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

Peru – On Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 7 p.m. the Peru Zoning Board of Appeals will consider an application for a use variance requested by Neil and Patricia Hamilton at 286 Mannix Rd. The application depicts solar panels installed on a 12.75 acres of land on the north side of the Mannix Road, east of the Hamilton Funeral Home. The property is zoned for residential and agricultural use. If a use variance is granted, the solar farm would be still subject to a site plan review by the Peru Planning Board. Code Enforcement Officer Bob Guynup said the project has been described as 8,450 (40” x80”) panels producing 2.7 megawatts of electricity.

Mark Hamilton is the Hamilton family’s spokesperson and project coordinator. He explained, “We are still investigating the project, but we’re very excited about it as a family. It’s a great way to give back to the community that has been so good to us. We don’t have the exact numbers yet, but it will be good for both the community and the environment.” Hamilton said Peru residents could potentially see a 5% to 10% reduction in their NYSEG electric bills over a 20-year period. He added, “We’re looking into how to finance the project, financing can’t be obtained until we have an approved site for the project.”�

The Hamilton family (Patti Hamilton, Mark Hamilton, Neil Hamilton and Ruth LaClair) started thinking about the project about two years ago after Patti Hamilton received a letter offering to lease 20 acres of property for the eventual construction of a solar farm. The proposal did not include a construction date or timetable. Mark explained, “I thought we could use the land for a similar project. We started investigating and we received NYSEG’s OK. They gave us a detailed estimate of what it would cost to hook up to their system.” Hamilton said the project’s future will ultimately depend on financing. Hamilton added, “We may never be able to get the financing the way we need it.”

On July 18th the Peru Town Board conducted a workshop to educate themselves on the implications of a solar farm being located in Peru. The possibility of passing a local law to regulate such things as solar farm locations and required permitting was discussed. Levying property taxes was one of the issues raised. Last week Mark commented, “The property is currently assessed as agricultural use. There is the possibility of it being tax exempt. We’ll have to work with the Town and come up with what’s best for the Town.” A payment-in-lieu of taxes (PILOT) is a common solution. Hamilton said, “Since the land is currently agricultural, I think the Town would most likely see an increase in revenue from the same land.” Solar farm developers and town boards negotiate the terms of any PILOT agreement.