2022-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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and Decommissioning Plan shall include a detailed 2. All required setbacks shall be left in their description of how all of the following will be undisturbed natural vegetated condition for the duration addressed: of the solar energy system's installation. In situations where the naturally vegetated condition within required (a) Physical removal of all structures; setback is not wooded and does not provide adequate equipment,building,security barriers and transmission screening of the solar array, the Planning Board may lines from the site,including any materials used to limit require additional intervention including, but not vegetation. limited to: (b) Disposal of all solid and hazardous waste in (a) A landscaping plan showing sufficient trees accordance with local,state and federal waste disposal and understory vegetation,of a type common in natural regulations. areas of Mashpee,to replicate a naturally wooded area and to constitute a visual barrier between the proposed (c) Stabilization or re-vegetation of the site as array and neighboring properties and roadways. necessary to minimize erosion. The Planning Board (b) Berms along property lines and roadways may allow landscaping or below-grade foundations left with suitable plantings to provide adequate screening in situ in order to minimize erosion and disturbance of to neighboring properties and roadways. the site. 3. Lighting: Lighting of ground-mounted solar (d) Description of financial surety for energy systems shall be limited to that required for decommissioning: Proponents of ground-mounted safety and operational purposes,and shall be reasonably solar energy systems shall provide a form of surety, shielded from abutting properties. Lighting shall be either through escrow account, bond or other form of directed downward and shall incorporate full cut-off surety approved by the Planning Board to cover the fixtures to reduce light pollution. cost of removal in the event the Town must remove the installation and remediate the landscape,in an amount 4. Signage: Signs on ground-mounted solar energy and form determined to be commercially reasonable by systems shall comply with all applicable regulations the Planning Board, but in no event to exceed more of this by-law and/or any Town sign by-law. A sign than 125 percent of the cost of removal and compliance shall be required to identify the owner, operator and with the additional requirements set forth herein, as interconnected utility and provide a 24-hour emergency determined by the project proponent and the Town. contact phone number. Ground-mounted solar energy Such surety will not be required for municipal or state- systems shall not be used for displaying any advertising owned facilities. The project proponent shall submit Signage. a fully inclusive estimate of the costs associated with removal,prepared by a qualified engineer. The amount 5. Utility Connections: Within setback distances shall include a mechanism for calculating increased and except where soil conditions, location, property removal costs due to inflation. shape, and topography of the site or requirements of the utility provider prevent it, all utility connections (e) It shall be a condition of any special permit from grid-intertie solar energy systems shall be placed that all legal documents required to enable the Town underground. Electrical transformers for utility to exercise its rights and responsibilities under the interconnections may be above ground if required by plan to decommission the site, enter the property and the utility provider. physically remove the installation shall be provided prior to the issuance of a building permit. 6. Vegetation Management: All land associated with the ground-mounted solar energy system shall be F. Required Performance Standards: Small, covered and grown in natural vegetation. The height Medium and Large Scale Solar Energy Systems of vegetation must be managed by regular mowing 1. Visual Impact Mitigation: The site plan for or grazing so as to minimize the amount and height a ground-mounted solar energy system shall be of combustible material available in case of fire. designated to screen the array to the maximum extent Herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers shall practicable year round from adjacent properties in not be used to manage vegetation. To the greatest residential use and from all roadways. extent practicable, a diversity of plant species shall be used, with preference give to species that are native 78