Threat to the Sourlands

From: "Louise C. Wilson" <lwilson@hbts.com>

I am forwarding the message below in case you haven’t heard of
Gibralter Rock’s plan, going before Hillsborough’s EC next week and
the planning board in early May, to clearcut 20 acres of high quality
Sourland Mountain woodlands – well over 2,000 trees – in order to
install solar panels. They are also asking permission to avoid the
required replacement plantings.

This is alarming on a number of levels: habitat for threatened and
endangered species, carbon sink, water quality, etc. If this is to be
stopped, I expect Hillsborough residents – hopefully their EC,
Sustainability committee and other residents -- will need to lead the
way. I just want to do what I can to spread the word and encourage
any and all of you with contacts in Hillsborough to help spread the
word, and if you know of any coordinated effort to oppose the
application, please share that info.

Regards,
Louise

From: S Gulliford [mailto:s_gulliford@comcast.net]

KDC Solar GRQ, LLC, of Bedminster has filed an application for a solar
array on 20-acres of the 508.415-acre Gibraltar Rock property (Block
174, Lot 155) on the east side of Longhill Road between Zion Road and
Dutchtown-Zion Road on the southeast corner of the quarry adjacent to
Montgomery Township.
The project consists of a 9,996-panel , 2.3-megawatt solar array in
four sections. Fourteen-acres will contain site improvements (the
array, maintenance road, stormwater retention system, swales, drain
pipe, and overhead utilities), while the remaining 6-acres will be
cleared around the array to mitigate shading on the panels.
The area for the array is zoned as Quarry District according to the
application. The applicant states that solar energy systems, including
the proposed solar array, are a permitted accessory use. The panels
will be approximately 8’ high. A 150-foot stream corridor will remain
undisturbed.
The applicant states that using sample areas and averaging, there are
2,298 trees greater than 6-inches in caliper. If 1,291 healthytrees
are removed, 3,774 replacements will be required. At$325/per tree the
applicant would have to pay $1,226,550, but they are requesting an
Economic Hardship Waiver using an estimated project cost of
$7,208,549, ultimately costing them (tree mitigation) $108, 128.33
( approx. 333 trees X $325).
The array life-span is 20-years with a 5-year optional extension, with
the infrastructure removed at the end of the lifespan of the solar
array.