Bear Peak, a Colorado-based solar company, has been attempting to gain a permit to build a solar farm at the site of the former George Apkin & Sons scrapyard in North Adams.
The property, formerly home to George Apkin & Sons scrapyard, was the site of a massive 2021 fire. Because debris and hazardous material built up, city officials said more cleanup and environmental remediation on site was necessary before building the solar farm.
Bear Peak Power officials estimate cleanup of the site on Christopher Columbus Drive in North Adams could cost up to $1 million.
This bridge over the Hoosic River, which has been closed due to structural issues, is the only access to the site of the former George Apkin & Sons scrapyard from State Street.
North County Reporter
Bear Peak, a Colorado-based solar company, has been attempting to gain a permit to build a solar farm at the site of the former George Apkin & Sons scrapyard in North Adams.
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NORTH ADAMS — After roughly a year of trying to get city permission to build a solar farm on a former scrapyard near downtown, a Denver-based solar company is pumping the brakes on the project — for now.
Bear Peak Power, a solar developer that operates in more than a dozen states, withdrew its permit application at a Planning Board meeting on Monday, but said it will reapply once it can answer the city’s remaining questions about its proposed ground-mounted solar farm.
The company last presented the project in November, when the Planning Board delayed a vote after raising concerns about site access and cleanup plans. Since, Bear Peak has postponed reappearing in front of the Board, saying it didn’t have answers yet to those concerns.
The Conservation Commission also had questions about the site plan, as the property is adjacent to the Hoosic River, and Planning Board’s approval is contingent upon Conservation Commission approval.
In an email to The Eagle, Ryan McQuigg, Bear Peak’s director of development, said the company intends to reapply for a permit “once there is enough information available to resolve the Planning Board’s outstanding concerns.”
If approved, the solar farm would be built on property owned by local business owner Philip Apkin, next to the Sons of Italy building on Christopher Columbus Drive. Bear Peak planned to buy the land once the permit was approved, said McQuigg at the November meeting.
Bear Peak Power officials estimate cleanup of the site on Christopher Columbus Drive in North Adams could cost up to $1 million.
The property, formerly home to George Apkin & Sons scrapyard, was the site of a massive 2021 fire. Fire crews from across Berkshire County responded, and the city billed the business $83,791 for the initial cleanup — an invoice that has not been paid.
Because debris and hazardous material built up after neglect and the fire at the scrapyard, city officials said more cleanup and environmental remediation on site was necessary before building the solar farm.
McQuigg estimated in November that Bear Peak planned to spend about $1 million on cleanup, though the company had not yet finalized a plan for the work.
“It is our opinion that the significant investment of environmental remediation and general passive nature of the project will result in a large community benefit,” said McQuigg. “We recognize we are not North Adams locals, but as a future part of the community, we want to be a great neighbor.”
Why would Bear Peak want to build on a contaminated scrapyard? McQuigg cited the site’s viability for “interconnection,” close proximity to residences and natural barriers that would help shield it from view.
It could also be because the site’s industrial history makes it eligible for additional incentives through the state’s SMART program, or Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program. According to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, “a primary focus of the SMART program is to promote optimal siting of solar away from greenfield and open space land uses.”
The property, formerly home to George Apkin & Sons scrapyard, was the site of a massive 2021 fire. Because debris and hazardous material built up, city officials said more cleanup and environmental remediation on site was necessary before building the solar farm.
Through the program, Massachusetts offers higher payments for solar project owners built on brownfields, or properties hindered by oil or the presence of hazardous materials. Bear Peak did not immediately respond to questions from The Eagle asking whether that was part of their interest in that location.
This bridge over the Hoosic River, which has been closed due to structural issues, is the only access to the site of the former George Apkin & Sons scrapyard from State Street.
In presentations to both boards, McQuigg proposed accessing the site via a bridge on Christopher Columbus Drive, but that bridge has long been unusable for vehicle traffic and the fire department has rejected that idea.
Since November, McQuigg has not offered another idea for site access.
McQuigg estimated the total price tag for the project was about $5 million — roughly over $1 million in environmental work followed by an additional $4 million of construction costs.
McQuigg said Bear Peak was founded in 2021 by developers from larger firms and has 118 solar projects across nine states in “varying stages of development.” The project on hold would generate 1.25 megawatts AC — enough to power about 175 single-family homes in the area. Construction would create about 48 full-time jobs, with four or five permanent positions for operations and maintenance once complete.
If approved, McQuigg estimated construction would’ve started in August 2026 and be completed about a year later.
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Izzy Bryars can be reached at ibryars@berkshireeagle.com.
North County Reporter
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