Late last fall we came very close to losing this view. In December 2019, the Guilderland planning board approved a 65-acre industrial solar farm in the field next to Altamont Orchards on an up-facing slope that was impossible to screen and is one of the last unobstructed agricultural views of the Helderberg escarpment. A small, determined group of people came together that included a politician, a lawyer, a neighboring landowner and farmer, and other retired professionals including me. Though the neighboring landowner had offered a land swap, it was not considered because the existing solar law basically allowed any solar construction as long as it was on agricultural land.
Early on I was able to rally local support using photography and sharing the many images I’ve painted of this particular scene. We created postcards, yard signs, letters to the editors, and petitions. Within three days we had over 1,000 signatures on our change.org petition. Our local county legislator, Jeff Perlee, published two compelling articles in the the Altamont Enterprise, and our lawyers went to work to develop legal challenges to the special use permit, if required.
Given the uproar, our town supervisor rapidly evolved his position on solar. Rather than grant all applications and hope that no one notices or complains, the town has crafted an incredibly good solar law that includes viewshed protections and generally better regulations around mitigation and decommissioning. Best yet, the two landowners have come to an agreement for a land swap. The 10MW solar array will now be built on a down-facing slope that will not be viewed from the road or from the escarpment.
We have maintained all along that we are 100% for renewable energy, including solar. However, we believe that having sensible zoning laws around siting will speed adoption of future solar installations and allow us to enjoy the beautiful rural landscape that we treasure. There are still a few hurdles left to clear but we’re very optimistic that our efforts will succeed. It’s a wonderful example of what can happen when citizens come together and are clear about their issues and shared goals. I’m looking forward to painting many more images of this view.