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Updated: April 9, 2026 @ 11:23 am
The master plan rendering for the Kirkbrae solar panel project. The panels would go behind Kirkbrae’s tennis courts, and would be accessed from the right, on Old River Road. The top right side of the project, and the top of the project, abuts residential homes, while the left side abuts town-owned land.
Valley Breeze Staff Writer
The master plan rendering for the Kirkbrae solar panel project. The panels would go behind Kirkbrae’s tennis courts, and would be accessed from the right, on Old River Road. The top right side of the project, and the top of the project, abuts residential homes, while the left side abuts town-owned land.
LINCOLN – Residents of Hickory Lane and Old River Road told the Planning Board they have concerns about Kirkbrae Country Club’s proposal to install a “ground-mounted solar array.”
At the March Planning Board meeting, the board held a discussion and public hearing on Kirkbrae’s proposed master plan for a “ground mounted solar array,” which would consist of around 880 12-foot-tall solar structures, and would generate approximately 88 percent of Kirkbrae’s annual energy needs.
The solar panels would be surrounded by a 6-foot fence, and would be located behind Kirkbrae’s tennis and pickle ball courts, bordering several residential properties, as well as town-owned land.
Representatives from Kirkbrae said that site is currently a wooded area, and is used by Kirkbrae to dump plants and clippings from the golf course.
Though the area would have to be cleared for the installation of the solar panels, project representatives noted in the proposal that they would plant trees between the solar fields and neighboring residential properties to act as a visual and sound buffer.
Per Town Planner Stephanie Davies, this project falls under the use of “renewable energy minor scale ground mount,” as all power generated will be used only by Kirkbrae, and would be considered an accessory to these existing facilities. However, she said this project is a bit complicated, as a special use permit, as well as a dimensional variance, would have to be granted.
Resident Dennis Martel, whose property would directly abut the proposed project, said he is opposed to the solar field, as it is “fundamentally inconsistent with the RS-12 residential district.”
“It’s not residential accessory use, it’s a utility scale installation,” he stated, adding that he feels a project of this size does not belong in a low-density residential neighborhood, and that allowing this would set a precedent for additional non-residential uses.
“The applicant has not demonstrated hardship that justifies use variance. Reducing operating cost and generating energy or a desire to become more eco-friendly is not meeting legal standards for hardship. Reasonable alternatives do exist, including rooftop panels on existing Kirkbrae buildings, or a structure over the parking lot,” said Martel.
Martel, along with fellow abutters Chris Behlke and Michael Provost, emphasized the negative visual impacts of the solar field.
“(My) house has 18 windows in the back, two glass doors, and a deck all facing the empty lot. From mid-spring through early fall, it’s nothing but green … I’ve been living there for 14 years. In a short time, that’s going to change, and all we’re going to see from our second floor bedroom windows is 12-foot-high solar panels surrounded by six-foot high chain link fences,” Provost said.
Provost and other nearby neighbors also noted that even if trees are planted around the perimeter as proposed, it would take a significant amount of time for the trees to grow tall enough to mask the panels. And, if trees aren’t evergreen, they will lose leaves in the fall and winter, further exposing visibility of the solar farm.
Behlke added that the trees wouldn’t totally hide the solar farm, and that it would ultimately still be visible from the second floor of the homes.
Behlke went on to say that the wooded area as it currently stands acts as a sound buffer not just from Kirkbrae, but from Route 295 as well; he said he is concerned no noise study has been conducted yet.
While the solar panels would allow Kirkbrae to save on energy, Behlke said they could potentially cause neighboring homeowner electricity usage and costs to increase. He explained that the trees provide substantial shade in the summer, and without them, surrounding homes might need to use more air conditioning to cool their homes.
Another abutter, Dennis Medetski, echoed his neighbors, saying that in addition to aesthetics, noise, and environmental impacts, he worries destroying the wooded area will ruin the habitat, and cause a mouse or rat problem for nearby residents.
The neighbors who spoke agreed that the solar farm would negatively impact their current living situation, and expressed concerns over the solar panels eventually impacting the overall property values of their homes as well.
Project representatives said that they are more than willing to work with local officials and nearby residents to find compromises, adjust plans, and complete studies to help alleviate concerns.
One abutter did express support during the public comment, saying that they believe Kirkbrae has been and will continue to be a good neighbor.
Ryan Polumbo of Revity Energy said his company has experience installing these solar structures, and assured residents that they have not had any issues with rodents or pests.
He also said that Kirkbrae will not be able to profit off of these solar structures, and that even if Kirkbrae reduces energy consumption over the years, the energy will not be able to be sold to the grid.
Project attorney Joelle Rocha noted that the proposed project meets all of the standards set forth by the town and state – panels are not taller than 15 feet, panels will not generate more than 125 percent of energy needs, etc. – and emphasized that this particular use is permitted.
Members of the Planning Board issued a continuance, and are expected to revisit the topic at the April Planning Board meeting.
Valley Breeze Staff Writer
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Did I read this right- 880 12 foot structures? So, they propose to clear cut all the trees from this area and install an industrial solar array in an area abutted by single family homes? Doesn’t seem to “green” to me. I’m sure the flora and fauna in that area would have something to say, could they speak. I hope this is rejected for the money grab it appears to be.
This town is getting away with things they should not be aloud to.
This is not the Town wanting something. This is Kirkbrae applying for something that needs special use permitting. I passed an ordinance many years ago NOT allowing this type of installation in residential neighborhoods, (only commercial and industrial zones) unfortunately, the State of RI, once again in their vast knowledge of knowing what is best for our communities, pasted legislation making this a “special use” in residential zoned neighborhoods. The applicant needs to receive this permit from the planning board. I personally do not support this unsightly installation in the backyards of these residents. It’s a shame that the State continues to force this type of stuff on all of us.
This is a private land owner wanting to develop on their own private property to the betterment of their operations—decreasing their energy bills and investing in their future. However, is clear cutting a forest the best use of that land for a bunch of solar arrays? Solar panels are better suited on parking lots, rooftops, and undesirable lands (like former landfills for example) not pristine forest that will certainly have a negative impact on the quality of life for their neighbors.
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