Public hearings address solar panels and two-car garages
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
There were two public hearings during the June 4, 2026, Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) meeting and neither generated much discussion from the public.
The first was regarding a “minor modification,” as Attorney Wendell Avery put it, to the site plan for two of the new units being built at Isabella Court, a community for people 55+ and older. (Read more about the 25 approved units here.) Basically, two of the houses were shifted slightly to make room for two-car garages rather than one. Not much to see here, folks. The PZC eventually voted to approve the change without much fuss.
The second was regarding a ground mounted solar installation at 11 Middle River Drive, which is the location of Willington Nameplate. Two representatives from Earthlight Technologies presented plans for a 193.52 kW DC, 150 kW AC system consisting of 328 panels. There was slightly more discussion about this proposal.
Commission member Dr. David Mordasky asked a few questions based on his personal experience with a solar panel installation on a family member’s land. It should be noted that there are a few important differences between the two projects. The project on Mordasky family land on Upper Road provides energy to Eversource over the course of a 20-year contract and, according to Verogy, the company that originally proposed the project, would provide Stafford with an estimated $32,000 per year in tax revenue. That project went through the state’s siting council. The Willington Nameplate project would offset the company’s energy usage.
Mordasky said the solar array project on Upper Road was sold to an out-of-state company, and that he had been trying to get them to relocate the access road to where it’s been for decades, rather than right through the middle of the land. In other words, he wanted to know to know who would ultimately be responsible for any issues with this project. The Earthlight representatives assured the commission that the company, which is based out of Ellington, does its own construction and is a family-owned operation.
The installation is planned for a grassy area to the side of the Willington Nameplate building and two propane tanks will need to be relocated. Resident Donna Wright asked about the water runoff created by such a large solar array. The representatives said the land is fairly flat, and that any runoff should be absorbed by the grass. They also noted that because they plan to use ground screws, there will be minimal disturbance to the ground.
That proposal was also given the go ahead by the PZC.
