TRENTON, Maine — In the Hancock County town of Trenton, the select board has extended its temporary ban on medium- and large-scale solar energy projects.
They extended this moratorium to give the Trenton planning board more time to figure out a long-term solution for proposed solar developments.
The select board began the moratorium after residents expressed concerns about a proposed 70-megawatt solar farm. Now, they’re expanding it 180 days.
"Until we have something to go before the voters, and it will be the will of the people how it comes out," Trenton selectman John Bennet said.
The select board made the move to give the planning board more time to change the town's land-use ordinance, which right now doesn’t limit the size of solar projects.
Back in May, the planning board tried to change to ordinance to limit solar farms, but residents voted it down, wanting stricter limits.
"It's a balancing act, it's not easy because there's such a dichotomy of opinion, so it's critical to what we do," Trenton planning board chair Mark Remick said.
Right now, the planning board wants to limit solar projects to 30 acres and keep them out of residential districts.
Many residents though, want to limit these developments further to about three acres.
"We really don't wanna see the woods that people hunt in, and our neighborhoods being stripped of natural environment," resident Maria Gott said.
Gott is a part of a new working group that is collaborating with the planning board to figure out a compromise that reflects what the majority of people want.
"I just hope that people voice their opinions, I want to see more people participating, it's helpful to everybody if more people participate," Gott said.
Now they're working to carve a path forward after months of deliberations.
"We're not a city, we're a town of friends, family, and neighbors, we can figure this out, it doesn't have to divide us," Remick said.
The planning board and working group are meeting on Oct. 2 to discuss plans going forward. Once they decide on a proposed ordinance change, it will be up to residents to vote on enacting it.