SHUTESBURY — The fate of a long-debated solar project proposed for a site on what some say are Native American burial grounds could be decided at a Planning Board meeting Monday.
The meeting will begin in the town hall at 7 p.m. to consider a special permit requested by Lake Street Development to build a 30-acre solar installment on Pratt Corner Road. The board has until June 5 to decide whether to grant the permit, the end of a 90-day deliberation period which began in March following a series of public hearings. If the board does not make a decision, the permit would automatically be granted.
“We’re under the gun to get it done before time for consideration runs out,” said Deacon Bonnar, chairman of the Planning Board. “It’s been a long road, I hope we’re getting to the end of it.”
The Planning Board began public hearings July 27, 2015, regarding the 6-megawatt project which would have 20 acres of solar installments surrounded on all sides by a 10-acre clearing to provide necessary sunlight.
The project would generate enough energy to power a small town the size of Shutesbury, according to Bonnar. The company, which also has a solar project in the works in Deerfield, plans to sell the energy to power grids in town, Bonnar said.
Planning Board member Jeffrey Lacy wrote the draft of the special permit to be discussed Monday.
Discussion of the potential existence of a Native American burial ground began at the final public hearing in March. New Salem resident Sarah Kohler told the board she believes a Native American burial ground “likely” exists on the site and has spoken with archaeologists who agree.
Kohler is a photographer who takes photos of stone works and earth works around New England she believes were created intentionally by indigenous people.
She said the stones, individual and stacked, all consist of a “geometric construct” and have a “visual perceptual relationship.” Kohler said she felt obligated to make the board aware of the issue to prevent any disturbance to the land.
“Once you see (the stone works) you can never unsee them. How could anyone turn away and pretend they’re not important?” Kohler asked. “We cannot bulldoze and unearth bones of ancestors to keep feeding our televisions.”
Kohler is the chairwoman of the Planning Board in New Salem but she said she is acting as a concerned citizen, not a town official.
Shutesbury resident and environmental scientist Rolf Cachat-Schilling is a registered member of the Mohawk tribe. He said the potential solar project is “emotionally difficult” for him because it could destroy what he believes is a burial ground.
“It is significant to the whole town. It is shared history for all of us as Americans,” said Cachat-Schilling. “From an emotional place it is very hard to deal with.”
Cachat-Schilling hopes the permit will include a condition requiring that the land be surveyed and assessed for remains with the “best available tests” like soil sampling.
He said it is the town’s “moral exigency to at least be careful,” before building on what could be a burial ground.
Bonnar said he anticipates the Planning Board will include a requirement in the conditions of the special permit for a proper investigation should ceremonial sites be confirmed within the area. If a burial ground was officially discovered, federal law would prevent the project from moving forward.
Residents are concerned the project will cause erosion and deforestation issues, according to Miriam DeFant of Shutesbury. DeFant said she would prefer to see the solar project installed in an “already contaminated” area like a landfill or parking lot, instead of a forested area.
Since conversation began last year, the plan has changed to accommodate the slopes of the land and ease water drainage concerns.
“The plan has a better design, but it is still flawed and in a challenging location,” DeFant said.
Kohler agreed, adding the deforestation of the area could cause an “ecological disaster” for bird species in the area, notably wood warblers and thrushes.
According to Bonnar, the Planning Board has worked to satisfy residents and consider the environment with a “reconfigured” plan. The “considerably changed” design now consists of two sections of paneling to accommodate sloping land in the center, he said, and plans for an access road were adjusted to accommodate wetlands on the property. The size of the project has not changed.