HADLEY — A dual-use solar project that will allow a farmer to raise chickens and grow crops below the panels is being proposed on an 8 1/2-acre parcel on Shattuck Road in North Hadley.
The Planning Board on Tuesday reviewed preliminary plans from Jake Marley, manager of Hyperion Systems, LLC, in Amherst, which is proposing to use 2.1 acres of land, owned by Joe Czajkowski, for what are known as agrivoltaics.
Under the proposal, the panels will be installed 10 feet above the ground so chickens have space to roam and harvesting of crops can be done by both mechanical equipment and by hand.
The panels, set in 10 rows, nine of which will be 480 feet long and one that will be 240 feet long, can produce 488 kilowatts of direct current energy. They would also be able to track the sun as a motorized system moves them one degree every 15 minutes during the summer months.
Due to being considered a large-scale project, a special permit hearing will be required and adequate screening from neighboring properties will likely be necessary, according to planners.
Marley said the project will be financially supported, in part, by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and that the University of Massachusetts is also interested in its success.
Planners have also been presented with a plan for alternate use of existing farmland on South Maple Street, next to the Norwottuck Rail Trail and immediately south of the Maple Farm Foods store.
On this 4.2-acre site, entirely agricultural, Ideal Movers and Storage is proposing a nearly 97,000-square-foot, three-story, climate-controlled storage building, and a much smaller cold storage garage-style building, along with 25 parking spaces.
Mark Dean of Dean Architects of Depew, New York, said the building will feature brick molding, cultured stone and Kingspan metal panels. Dean said the finished building would be a “step up” from standardized storage buildings and their usual box-like appearance.
A hearing on the site plans will be scheduled.
Meantime, the 138 Russell St. Hadley Professional Center building that last housed Valley Dentists, prior to its move to new offices at 200 Russell St. in 2019, could soon become an antiques and consignment store run by Haley Shipman, whose father, Ray, owns the building.
Ray Shipman told planners that he would make minimal changes to the exterior, various upgrades inside and would be in compliance with zoning, including for signs and parking.
The board agreed to waive site plan review due to the less intense use of the building.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
