By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The Casco Planning Board is pushing for a moratorium on solar energy projects on the commercial level.  

A moratorium would put on hold all future applications until the town has in place an ordinance addressing solar farms. 

Of course, grandfather rights would apply. A moratorium, if passed by residents at a special town meeting, would not impact the two solar projects already approved by the planning board or the solar farm to be constructed at the town’s landfill. 

On Monday, for the third time, the planning board voted unanimously to request the Casco Board of Selectmen to consider a moratorium on solar projects until the town is able to put a proper ordinance in place. This go-around, vote was 3-0. The quorum included Pete Watkins, Ryan McAllister andMarc Rocque.

Chairman McAllister spoke on the solar issue. 

“We are woefully unprepared for larger developments than we have had come before us,” he said. “We have voted unanimously twice for a solar moratorium. We have just enough time to get an ordinance done before Town Meeting so the town doesn’t end up with a solar farm that isn’t lining up with what people what to see for Casco.”

Essentially, the planning board recommended that the selectmen start the ball rolling to set up a short-term moratorium, spanning about eight months, until Annual Town Meeting in June.

The catch is that a town meeting must be held in order to pass the moratorium, and that could take weeks.

“If next Monday, a major solar project application were to land on [Code Enforcement Officer] John’s [Wiesemann] desk, we would not be protected against it,” McAllister said.  

On Tuesday, the Casco selectmen listened to the planning board’s recommendation as they directed the Casco Town Manager Tony Ward to ask legal counsel to draft the solar moratorium.

Ward clarified that this short-term moratorium would prohibitcommercial solar projects from going through the application process. The moratorium would not stop solar projectson residential properties. 

Selectman Plummer repeated the reasoning behind a moratorium. 

“This is that our ordinanceis not up to snuff to be prepared for large solar projects in town. The moratorium would be for a short time in order for us to adopt some language,” he said.  

“It is not that difficult. Many towns around us are doing it. Ask counsel to help us with step one, getting ready for a special town meeting again,” Plummer said. 

The selectmen will meet again on Nov. 1. 

It is expected that the draft will be ready in two weeks. If the selectmen decide to go forward with implementinga moratorium, they must set a date for special town meeting. 

While the selectmen’s discussion was taking place, Planning Board member McAllister stepped into the room.

Vice-chairman Scott Avery spoke to him. 

“We got the gist of what you are looking for. We feel the same way. We gotta get going on this,” Avery said. “You will plan for an ordinance.” 

McAllister answered

“We have some good building blocks,” he said. “The next step is public input around the bullet points we have to date. The main points we have hit and identified. It’s getting the verbiageright so that it can get executed in time for June town meeting— definitely.”