As a concerned neighbor living near the proposed 119-acre MacElroy Road Solar Farm, I'm reaching out to emphasize the significant issues this development poses for our community. This project, with its 12-foot tall solar panels, is set to be an unsightly intrusion into our beautiful neighborhood, shadowing our homes and disrupting the peaceful environment  and the wildlife that roam through it.

More importantly, the presence of these expansive structures is a direct threat to the property values of nearby homes. Real estate experts have consistently found that such industrial projects can lead to decreased property values for surrounding residential areas; a concern that deeply affects every homeowner in our community.

This project is NOT coming from a local business, it’s being pushed by a massive out‑of‑state corporation with zero connection to our town. DG Cooley, LLC traces straight back to NextEra Energy, headquartered at 700 Universe Boulevard in Juno Beach, Florida, a multibillion‑dollar  energy giant that forms shell LLCs like this one to push projects in communities they don’t live in and won’t be affected by. They won’t see the lowered property values, the disruption, or the impact on our neighborhoods, we will. To them, this is just another line on a spreadsheet. To us, it’s our home. They use a loop hole in the Special Use Permit that our town needs to update to prevent this from continuing.

This developer has also requested to reduce the NYSDEC mandated 100 foot wetland buffer to 50 feet.  This reduction in the natural transition zone directly threatens our community's quiet character by removing the essential vegetation that acts as a sound dampening barrier against the constant electrical humming of industrial inverters and transformers. 
The Planning board should not allow this company to come into our community under the Special Use Permit, because they are failing to meet the required standards for harmony with neighborhood, by requesting a buffer reduction that increases the auditory and visual burden on local residents.  

Moreover, the safety implications are alarming. The area lacks a nearby water hydrant, a critical resource in the event of a fire. Their current site plan shows no access road for fire trucks.  This significant oversight puts our homes and families at unnecessary risk. Should a fire occur the toxic chemicals released from the panels would not only pollute our air but cause respiratory distress wlth health risks to all nearby residents.

These environmental concerns cannot be overlooked. There is mounting evidence that the materials used in these solar panels leach toxic chemicals into the soil. Given that many residents in the area depend on well water, the potential for contamination poses a grave risk to our health and well-being.

It's crucial that we stand united against the implementation of this solar farm. While renewable energy is a step in the right direction, it must not come at the cost of community well-being and safety.

I urge you to sign this petition to stop the approval of the current MacElroy Road Solar Farm project plan.