ELMIRA, NY (WENY) -- A proposal for solar farms in the town of Elmira have some neighbors concerned about its potential impacts.

Carson Power has applied for special use permits with the town of Elmira Planning Board. According to meeting minutes, the company is seeking to develop two solar farms on leased land; one on a 25-acre parcel at 200 West Hill Road, and another on Hillcrest Road, consisting of 43 acres. Both parcels are heavily wooded. In addition to the a solar array, plans include a Tesla Megapack battery system - a large-scale rechargeable lithium-ion battery storage product, roughly the size of a shipping container.

Some neighbors who live near the parcels say they only recently learned of the proposal, even though they live only a few hundred feet away from the proposed development. Planning Board meeting minutes show that the town mailed letters of intent for the property to residents in the area in November; however WENY News has been informed that letters only went to property owners within 200 feet of the property line. 

The planning board held a public hearing on December 2nd, and a second on January 6th. Several neighbors have told WENY News it was only after the second public hearing that they learned of the project's existence, as they live beyond 200 feet of the parcel and did not receive a letter from the town. Additionally, the parcel on West Hill Road is just feet away from the Elmira City line, where some of the homes are located - outside of the town's purview.  

Chemung County Legislator John Burin is one of the neighbors concerned about the lack of outreach and information about the proposed solar farm and battery storage. He and others living nearby say they want the town of Elmira Planning Board to slow down on the permit approval process, and carefully consider the impact to neighboring properties.

"Because a project of this size, 24 acres almost 25 acres, can change the makeup of an area. And not only that, there’s devaluation of surrounding properties as a result of these, and so we wanted the word to get out. See how people felt about it, and to hopefully convince the town to put the brakes on and let’s talk about this some more," Burin said.

Burin hosted a small informational meeting recently, inviting other neighbors and community stakeholders, including the Elmira Fire Chief, a retired Director of Emergency Management, the Elmira city mayor, and several county legislators. 

"We talked about the project and some of the neighbors had gone to the meetings, the public hearings, and decided that we needed to inform more people about what was going on because of the potential impact these projects can have," Burin said.

Neighbors have expressed concern about the potential public health threat and environmental impact if a lithium battery storage system were to catch fire. Within a one-mile radius of the proposed solar farm on West Hill, includes the Elmira Correctional Facility, Arnot Ogden Medical Center, and several schools, as well as the Elmira Reservoir.  

"So what I would like to see is the town to take a step back. They have to do something within 62 days of the public hearing of this project, and I hope they deny it," Burin said.
"Start over again. Bring in a consultant to look at the battery storage local law, the solar local law, and zoning. Merge the documents. And these projects, they're a reality. So let's be sure we're putting them in the right place."

A community information meeting is being held on Wednesday, January 29th at the White Eagle Club at 364 Millard Street in Elmira. Interested people are encouraged to come to learn more about the proposal, and bring up concerns.

Among the representatives expected to attend are State Senator Tom O'Mara, the Elmira Correctional Facility, Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Tanglewood Nature Center, Elmira City School District, and Elmira Heights Central School District. Members of the Elmira Town Board and Planning board have been invited, according to Burin. Flyers have also been sent to residents within a one mile radius. 

Concerns to be addressed include resident safety, environmental impact, property value, zoning and placement. 

"We're trying to bring people together to educate them as to what is a solar farm, what are the pluses and minuses of these solar farms, and what is a battery storage container, and what does that mean if it's in your neighborhood," Burin explained.

According to Chemung County property tax records, the West Hill Road parcel is zoned as Agricultural Residential. Entirely wooded, the parcel would be cleared of the trees if the solar and battery storage project is approved.

Several municipalities in Chemung County have recently passed moratoriums on approving new solar projects. Most recently, the town of Southport in December 2024 voted a resolution to create a local law establishing a six-month moratorium on commercial solar energy systems and commercial energy storage systems. The local law has been sent to the Chemung County Planning Board for review. Previously, the other municipalities in Chemung County that had passed at least six month moratoriums include the towns of Big Flats, Chemung, Erin, and Veteran. 

WENY News has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the town of Elmira for the special use permit applications for the solar farm projects, as well as the letters distributed to residents regarding the projects. 

The next Town of Elmira Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 3rd at 7PM.