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FARMINGTON — The Farmington Planning Board approved a proposed solar development on Farmington Falls Road, with conditions, following extensive discussion and public comment during its April 13 meeting.
The project, submitted by USS Hillstrom Solar LLC, calls for a ground-mounted installation with a capacity of about 1 megawatt. Plans presented to the board show a developed footprint of about 8.61 acres, with the potential to expand to roughly 11 acres, though the developer said the project will remain at 8.61.
Board members and residents raised numerous concerns during the meeting, including visual impacts, flooding, compatibility with surrounding land uses and potential economic effects on nearby properties.
Derek Papagianopoulos, a project developer for Hillstrom Solar who manages development of the company’s eastern market community solar portfolio, presented the project to the board.
“I’m here today to discuss our USS Hillstrom solar project at 873 Farmington Falls Road,” Papagianopoulos said, adding that the company focuses on projects “just under one megawatt between five to ten acres worth of solar.”
The proposal includes rows of solar panels mounted on driven posts and aligned for southern exposure. Site plans show two primary arrays arranged in long, parallel rows across the property, separated by natural features and drainage areas, with the layout designed to maximize solar exposure while maintaining required setbacks.
The arrays are positioned to follow existing contours of the land, reducing the need for significant grading and allowing the project to conform to the natural slope of the site.
The system would use single-axis tracking modules that rotate throughout the day to follow the sun. “They will rotate with the sun, start off face east, flat at noon, and west at the end of day,” Papagianopoulos said, noting the system allows for greater efficiency and reduced ground coverage.
The use of single-axis tracking is also expected to reduce overall ground coverage compared to fixed-tilt systems, allowing more spacing between rows and maintaining vegetated areas beneath and around the panels.
Access to the site would be from Farmington Falls Road via a proposed gravel entrance leading to an internal access road network connecting the panel areas and electrical equipment, including inverters, transformers and interconnection infrastructure tied to Central Maine Power at pole No. 24.
Additional site plan details show the use of driven posts for panel support and designated areas for pad-mounted electrical equipment within the project footprint, consistent with the layout shown in the submitted engineering drawings.
Stormwater and erosion control measures were outlined as part of the proposal. Plans include a detention basin, vegetated swales and controlled drainage pathways designed to manage runoff and protect water quality in the nearby Sandy River. Construction-phase measures such as silt fencing, erosion control blankets and a stabilized construction entrance are also proposed to limit sediment movement during site work.
Vegetated areas shown on the site plan are intended to remain in place or be reestablished following construction to stabilize soils, reduce erosion and support long-term stormwater management across the site.
The project includes setbacks from property lines, wetlands and the Sandy River, with the solar arrays located outside the most restrictive shoreland buffer areas. Vegetated buffers are shown along the river corridor and around the perimeter of the site to reduce environmental and visual impacts.
Plans also call for perimeter fencing around the array areas, with gated access points for maintenance and emergency access. Papagianopoulos said fencing is necessary to prevent deer and other large animals from damaging the panels and electrical equipment.
“The deer may run into the panels,” he said, adding that the design will allow smaller animals to pass underneath.
There are about five solar projects proposed or under consideration in Farmington, raising broader concerns about cumulative impacts on farmland and the town’s development pattern.
Residents raised concerns about the site’s proximity to the Sandy River, citing flooding during the 2023 storm and the potential for erosion and debris movement. Others questioned whether glare from the panels could affect drivers along Farmington Falls Road. The developer responded that the panels are designed with anti-glare properties and are not expected to create hazardous reflections.
Questions were also raised about long-term compliance with project commitments. The developer said the project would be required to follow all state and local rules and ordinances.
“We have to follow state and local rules and ordinances,” Papagianopoulos said, adding that a decommissioning bond is in place to ensure the system is removed and the land restored if necessary.
Public comment included opposition from nearby residents and abutters. Ken Secor, of 926 Farmington Falls Road, who operates the Farmhouse Beer Garden, said the project conflicts with his business.
“I support solar, but I like to see a coherence working with us,” Secor said, adding that the project would impact the “pastoral views” that his business relies on for weddings and events.
Secor described the site as sitting below his property and said buffering would not be effective.
“We’re elevated upon a valley of an industrial complex that has no buffer,” he said, adding that a 30-foot buffer would be needed but is not practical.
Becca Keen, of 895 Farmington Falls Road, said the project is in the wrong location and raised concerns about flooding. “It is in a flood zone,” she said, referencing conditions during the 2023 storm.
Matt Keen, also of 895 Farmington Falls Road, asked about vegetation management.
“What do you use for herbicides on your fences?” he asked.
“We do not use any herbicides,” Papagianopoulos responded. “We mow it or trim it.” When asked how maintenance would be handled, he said the work would be contracted locally.
Property owner Gail Hillstrom spoke in support of the project, saying the land is no longer actively farmed. “This would preserve this property for our grandkids,” she said.
The board voted to approve the project with stipulations. Conditions include additional vegetative buffering and screening for nearby properties, including the beer garden and homes along Route 2, submission of an amended site plan showing those measures, visual simulations of the project from key viewpoints, and a three-year performance guarantee for tree growth using local plantings.
Some residents argued the application was not ready for approval, but board members said their role was to determine whether the project met existing ordinances. The motion passed with conditions, and a formal written approval with those conditions is expected to follow before the project can proceed.
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Rebecca Richard is a reporter for the Franklin Journal. She graduated from the University of Maine after studying literature and writing. She is a small business owner, wife of 33 years and mom of eight… More by Rebecca Richard
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