Hopkinton is a prime target for solar developers looking to install production facilities. Why Hopkinton? Price. Basically, it’s cheaper to buy and clear open space in Hopkinton than to install solar panels on top of old land fills and gravel banks, over parking lots, or on top of large buildings.

But there’s a lot of gray area when it comes to solar facilities. Sometimes solar is a good solution. More on that later, let’s start with the facts: for Hopkinton, commercial-scale solar is currently permitted in Hopkinton in two instances:

1. On farms (up to three acres)
2. On property in an industrial or commercial zone (nearly no restriction)

Farms

One acre of solar panels can keep farms in business and preserve dozens or hundreds of acres from development.

On July 18, 2016, Hopkinton Town Council unanimously approved an amendment to allow farmers to install solar panels on their land. Basically, it states that if you own a farm of at least 15 acres, you can install one acre of solar panels. Larger farms may install up to 3 acres. To qualify, you need to file taxes and show income as a farmer.

Commercial and Industrial

On January 6, 2014, Town Council changed zoning to allow commercial and industrial property to have solar panels. There are few restrictions on commercial property. The perimeter setbacks are small, and lot coverage for this zone can be 70% or higher.

The Workaround

The workaround is to change the zoning map. The zoning map is part of the town’s Comprehensive Plan, and Town Council has the authority to change this map up to four times per year. Several developers have asked the town to change residential and farm land to commercial land in order to build solar energy facilities.

This is how developers are getting their solar projects into Hopkinton.  Developers have been asking Hopkinton to change the town to suit their needs and the Town Council have agreed to do so on four recent occasions.

Zone Changes

As of this writing, all of the solar projects in town have been approved by Town Council at one time or another. Most are the small one acre installations on farms. Several are sited on commercial property. Most of the commercial installations aren’t built yet, but some exist. You may have noticed the solar installation on Enchanted Forest property. That’s an example of [largely] unrestricted commercial solar.

Four projects have required changing the zone of the property. The following table shows council votes on projects that required a zone change:

Approved Zone Changes

	Tom Buck	Barbara Capalbo	David Husband	Frank Landolfi	Sylvia Thompson
Bank St1 Jan 2014	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alton-Bradford Rd2 Jul 2017	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
High St3 Mar 2018	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Main St / Maxson Hill4 May 2018	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes

¹ Bank St. was approved at the same time solar was permitted in commercial and industrial zones, and this project spurred the Town Council to enact a solar ordinance to guide development.
² Alton-Bradford project is a 60 acre installation
³ High St is sited on an old gravel bank; the neighbors asked the council to allow it
⁴ 310 Main St is 68 acres of solar panels along Maxson Hill Road

Denied Zone Changes

One solar project has been denied by the town.  Hopkinton residents vehemently opposed the project, and three of the council’s five members cast votes that reflected the opinions of the townspeople who spoke out regarding the project.

	Tom Buck	Barbara Capalbo	David Husband	Frank Landolfi	Sylvia Thompson
Woodville Alton Rd5 Oct 2018	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

⁵ Woodville Alton Rd would have been an approximately 60 acre installation but was not approved

Future Projects

There are projects that currently in the application process. A developer has asked to change the zone of the “Brushy Brook” property to commercial so that solar can be installed. Hearings are ongoing… in fact, there’s a hearing on Monday, March 29. There may be another hearing on the future on a proposed zone changed near Lawton Foster Road South on Main St.

It’s still very much a case-by-case situation.

Town Council Candidates

Members of the council serve two year terms. On November 6, residents will vote on new membership. Five people are running for election, and there are five seats. It’s likely that the five candidates will win a spot on the council. However, you aren’t required to vote for five people. You can vote for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 positions. Vote only for members you approve of, it’s OK to leave blank spaces.

I haven’t spoken personally to each candidate to confirm their position on solar, but here’s my take based on statements on public record and voting history:

Incumbents

Candidates are listed alphabetically.

Barbara Capalbo seems to listen to town people and votes in their interest whether it be for or against. Read more on The Westerly Sun.

Frank Landolfi has voted for every project. He’s stated recently (and I’m paraphrasing) that he’s interested in diversifying the town’s income so that the town doesn’t need to rely as heavily on citizen’s tax dollars. Read more on The Westerly Sun.

Sylvia Thompson has voted in favor of every solar project to date. She recently stated that she wants revenue for the town, and she believes solar development is a path toward that goal. Read more on The Westerly Sun.

New-comers

Sharon Davis is a newcomer with no voting history. She seems opposed to spontaneous re-zoning of property. Read more on The Westerly Sun.

Scott Bill Hirst has served on the council in the past, but has no voting history in regard to solar projects. Read more on The Westerly Sun.

My 2¢

I try to be objective, but I’m not a journalist. So I’m going to editorialize. I’m not going to tell you how to vote. I’m not going to endorse any candidates. But I’m going to tell you how I feel.

Solar is bad for Hopkinton. Sure, solar on the landfill or on rooftops, or over a parking lot is great. But we don’t have big parking lots. We need business that brings jobs. Businesses that bring jobs that require parking lots (with solar panel canopies!). Our landscape is not ideal for development, but we can have environmentally friendly business near 95 and great hiking trails just a few miles away.

I’ve lived in Hopkinton for ten years. I chose to move to Hopkinton because I love its rural character. I don’t want to live next to a power plant. I wouldn’t have moved here if it were industrial.

Commercial solar brings all of the industrial drawbacks with none of the benefits. Solar brings no jobs, no economy, and the tax revenue is small. It creates a blight on the landscape, and that landscape is currently the #1 thing that Hopkinton has going for it. Let’s not screw it up!

Finally, please vote on November 6. If you don’t like the candidates, submit an empty ballot or write in the names of people you think are better. Your vote (for or against) sends a message to the candidates. It sends a message of apathy when you don’t vote, so take 5 minutes to stop by the polling place and submit a ballot.  You get a free sticker, and you get to shape the future of the town, state, and nation. 🇺🇸