To the editor:

I am writing this letter to inform the public about another huge solar development that wants to usurp another 18th century farm property in Tiverton. Granted, this property is mostly forest now, but the historic stone walls built in the late 1700's - early 1800's along the cart path and to fence in the crops and livestock are still present throughout the 101 acres. The original farmhouse built in the late 18th century is also present and is still inhabited. The forest is about 75 acres.

This property was the Fifth Lot of the 50-acre Pocasset Purchase lots. The original owner was Thomas Shrieve, who sold part to Jane Groves (widow of Richard) in 1773, part to David Manchester in 1772, and part to Ephraim Chamberlain in 1770. The Groves acreage was sold to Borden Brayton, a Revolutionary War veteran, in 1839.  It has remained in the Brayton family since then. As I previously stated, the Brayton Homestead remains on the property and is listed in the RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) records.

This solar project proposes to remove some of the historic stone walls and the 18th century house and buildings. In an earlier letter to the Town regarding development on historic properties, the RIHPHC states: "farmhouses and their associated outbuildings and fields constitute a rare surviving concentration of the rural agricultural settlement that characterized Tiverton in that era." They further state that historic farmland bounded by stone walls and remnant agricultural features contribute to the significance of the history of the Town.

Setting the historic aspects aside, the solar developer wants to clear-cut over 10,000 mature trees, acres of which have been there for over 90 years. This development was grandfathered in under the old solar ordinance which has since been repealed and is in process of revision, but it clearly violates Section 7i: "The applicant shall utilize existing cleared land or that which minimizes the impact on forest and habitat." They are utilizing about 20 acres of cleared land, however, they are clear-cutting over 40 acres of forested habitat. In essence, this solar power plant will take up over 60% of the property. To my mind, this does not minimize the impact on forest and habitat.

Citing the state's latest Solar Energy Systems Model Ordinance, the state encourages this kind of large-scale development on "commercial and industrial-zoned land, on already developed land, and in other locations with environmental alterations such as closed landfills, brownfields, parking lots, commercial and residential rooftops and sand and gravel pits." The state also emphasizes the development must comply with the town's Comprehensive Plan and existing Zoning Ordinance - which this property clearly does not. This area is zoned residential, and a solar development of this size is clearly an industrial power plant.

But guess where there is an old sand and gravel pit that fits this bill: a little further south on Brayton Road, across the road from this property. There are no trees to cut down, no historic stone walls to remove, no 18th century house and buildings to demolish. The only historic structure to bear in mind is the cemetery that is on one side of the quarry, similar to the Brayton Farm lot. To my mind, this is a win-win for the developer and the town. He doesn't have to spend as much preparing the site for the solar arrays, nor listen to disgruntled townspeople, boards, and commissions complain about the various points in the Comprehensive Plan and environmental and historical impact he is violating. The neighbors don't have to listen to chainsaws day in and day out, nor the machines removing the stumps, nor the hundreds of trucks carting the logs away. The gravel pit solar array site complies with the State Model Ordinance, however, the zoning would still need to be addressed, as this is still residential.

To those who don't know where the proposed solar development property is, it is located on the east side of Brayton Road just north of the kennels (across from Furey Avenue). There is a site walk scheduled by the Planning Board on Saturday, April 13, at 9 a.m. You'll get to see the mature woods and historic stone walls that have been there for centuries. If you cannot go, but agree with the points I've made in this letter, please send your opinion to the Planning Board; they are supposed to make all written comments on major developments known to the developer.

Susan Anderson

Tiverton