A hearing on a large-scale solar farm off Jepson Lane came to a screeching halt last Thursday when the developer revealed a issue with the process of notifying abutters to the property.

“It’s probably not a good sign that I have my coat on,” Cort Chappell, an attorney representing Portsmouth Solar LLC, told the zoning board at the start of last week’s meeting.

Portsmouth Solar LLC, whose parent company is East Light Solar LLC of Boston, wants to build a 2.9-megawatt solar farm in a residential zone abutting Seabury Apartments off Jepson Lane. The Seabury development owns the vacant property where the solar array is planned. 

The project, which would feature nearly 8,400 solar panels, requires a special-use permit it is not explicitly listed in the town’s zoning ordinance. The developers hope the solar farm will be operation by the end of this year.

If the project is approved National Grid, under the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Growth Program, will purchase energy produced by the solar farm at 14.65 cents per kilowatt peak for 20 years.

The Zoning Board of Review began its hearing on the proposal Jan. 19 and was expected to continue the matter on Thursday until Mr. Chappell said he learned there was problem with the abutter notification process. 

He requested that the developer re-advertise and re-submit the application.

“We’ve only done about 20 minutes of testimony, so I don’t think it’s that much of an inconvenience,” Mr. Chappell said.

Town Solicitor Kevin Gavin said the decision means that the developer will have to start from scratch. “The town has to re-send out all the (abutter) notices,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to continue the hearing until March 16, which should give the developers enough time to notify all abutters.