Pepperell Planning Board unanimously approves Bemis Road solar project with 22 conditions

PEPPERELL — August 19, 2024 — Pepperell Planning Board votes unanimously to approve a large solar array on Bemis Road, attaching 22 conditions. The board approved all three applications — a special permit, land disturbance permit, and major site plan review — submitted by NextGrid Inc., doing business as Wax Myrtle Solar LLC, for a ground-mounted photovoltaic array and battery storage system covering approximately 33 acres of a nearly 47-acre parcel at the intersection of Bemis Road and Lorden Lane. Peer reviewer Tye and Bond issued a final sign-off the morning of the meeting. Among the 22 adopted conditions: a funded decommissioning account required before any construction permits are issued, a pre- and post-construction road assessment on Bemis Road with repair costs borne by the applicant, a native pollinator seed mix with herbicides and pesticides prohibited, and a post-construction glare and buffer review tied to the certificate of operation. Thirteen acres of the parcel will be permanently conveyed to a conservation trust. The previously approved 21-lot subdivision on the site was rendered void by a condition requiring reconfiguration of the parcels to an approval-not-required plan before permits are issued. Chair Al Pattenard, citing the risk of nitrate loading from 21 septic systems near the municipal wellhead, called the solar project "a net positive for the town."