101.5 FM Homer/Cortland, NY
The Cortlandville Town Board has unanimously approved a 60-day extension of two moratoriums—one on solar development and another on battery energy storage systems (BESS). The extensions are intended to prevent a roughly two-week gap before new local laws governing these systems are expected to be enacted.
Keegan Coughlin of Coughlin & Gerhart, serving as legal counsel to the town, addressed the board during the meeting. He presented two resolutions for approval, allowing draft versions of the proposed local laws to be sent to both town and county planning boards for review and recommendations following minor revisions. Coughlin also advised the board to designate itself as lead agency for the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process, noting the review will likely be extensive due to proposed zoning changes.
Coughlin emphasized that the board’s role will be to strike a balance—implementing reasonable restrictions that protect the community and align with the town’s comprehensive plan, without effectively banning such developments altogether. He cautioned that a complete ban could be deemed unconstitutional and overturned in court.
“And so I think the committee and ultimately the town board are going to do a good job of balancing those two things,” Coughlin said. “You’ve heard from developers that it’s close and that you’re putting them through the wringer. Honestly, the end result will probably leave everyone a little unhappy, but it will protect the community.”
After unanimously approving the resolutions to forward the draft laws for review, the board also voted unanimously to extend both moratoriums for an additional 60 days.
Coughlin noted this marks the second extension of the solar moratorium, adding that the town has actively gathered input from residents and developers throughout the process. He also said the Solar and BESS Committee continues to evaluate more than 30 recommendations provided by the county planning board following its initial review.
A public hearing on the proposed solar and BESS laws is now scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, at 5:30 p.m. at the Raymond G. Thorpe Municipal Building, 3577 Terrace Road in Cortland.

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