We apologize for the delay in updating you on the Planning Board meeting held on September 21, 2020, but we were waiting for the official minutes and the publication of the Notice of “Conditioned Negative Declaration” announcing a public comment period ending on November 7, 2020, as well as to decide on some next steps.
The Planning Board’s decision was disappointing. They determined that “the project will have a significant adverse impact on the environment, that impact will be avoided or substantially mitigated because of the following requirements imposed by the Lead Agency” (AKA Planning Board):
- All power will be generated on site with no impact to the grid.
- Noise Leveling testing will verify compliance to the Town of Torrey Zoning Code.
- Applicant will fulfill all New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) requirements relative to the Greenidge Generation operations.
Because it is a conditioned negative declaration, it requires a public comment period. That comment period will end on November 7, 2020. We will be posting suggested comments and instructions on how to comment shortly, but please include your own thoughts.
CTPFL will also be addressing the Torrey Town Board on October 13, 2020 at 7:30 at the Town Offices to express our concerns about this project and ask the Board to investigate issues with the Town Zoning Code.
The Torrey Zoning Code https://www.townoftorrey.org/laws/pdf_45.pdf) requires that:
“2. The proposed use will not adversely impact adjacent properties, existing infrastructure or environmentally sensitive features on or near the site such as steep slopes, Seneca Lake or other bodies of water, water courses, the Outlet Trail, mature woodlands, or wetlands;”
3. The proposed use will not adversely impact adjacent properties with regard to excessive or unreasonable disturbance such as noise, light, glare, vibration, shadow, vapors, smoke, fumes, dust, particulate emissions or odors.
The Planning Board never asked or answered either of these questions in its review of the project, or took the required “hard look.”
The Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes requests the Town Board to consider a temporary (3 month) moratorium:
To allow time to complete the sound tests, time to review the Zoning Code to clarify the role the protection of Seneca Lake and the Outlet should play in planning board decisions and
To consider hiring a separate acoustic consultant to determine the impact of 24/7 noise on the area
To evaluate how the potential impacts that 300,000 MWH/year of energy should be evaluated if they are “before the grid.”
Copies of the CTPFL statement introduced at the meeting, minutes, Environmental Assessment Forms and Site Plan Approval and the Environmental are under Critical Documents on our webpage at https://preservethefingerlakes.org/
We will share our full comments to the Town Board along with a report on its decision.