Cape Cod Commission approves proposed solar facility in Dennis
DENNIS — A 3.1-megawatt solar array proposed for a former golf driving range moves on to town review after it passed a significant approval milestone.
Developer Great Western Dennis Smart LLC will next take the project through local permitting, according to Sarah Colvin, communication manager at the Cape Cod Commission. Commission members voted unanimously on Sept. 9 to grant Development of Regional Impact approval to the plan.
There is a 30-day appeal period for DRI approval, Colvin said.
Receiving a building permit from the town of Dennis would follow, according to project files. The developer could not be reached for comment.
The project will use 8.5 acres of a 13.9-acre parcel of land located at 131 Great Western Road in Dennis. The solar array aims to be part of the Massachusetts SMART program, an initiative to promote cost-effective solar developments in the state.
The Cape Cod Commission evaluated the DRI application by making sure it adhered to the regional policy plan and Dennis zoning bylaws. Commission staff and members also evaluated whether the project’s proposed benefits outweighed its potential detriments.
A benefit mentioned by commission staff is redevelopment of the land.
Before 1990, the land was used for a sand and gravel operation, attorney Michael Ford said in a presentation to the Cape Cod Commission. At the time, the land was part of a larger 19-acre parcel. The use of the land then transitioned to a golf driving range, and was granted DRI approval by the Cape Cod Commission. The golf range closed in 2015, and DRI validity ceased in 2016.
The land was then divided into a 5.1-acre parcel and a 13.9-acre parcel, the larger of which will be used to build the solar array.
The proposed array is part of a growing trend on the Cape toward solar power. In fiscal year 2019, towns on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard collectively gained over $3.4 million in credits and cash from municipal solar power installations. The trend toward solar energy on the Cape started in 2010 when the Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative put photovoltaic panels on the roofs of schools and municipal buildings in a few towns.
Among the Cape towns that produce the most solar energy in fiscal year 2019 were Barnstable at 11.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and Harwich at 3.6 million kilowatt-hours.
Another solar project underway is the conversion of Cape Cod Country Club in Falmouth to a large-scale solar farm. At Eastham town meeting in June, voters passed an article committing to long-term solar agreements regarding grids that were put on the town hall campus, Department of Public Works facility and transfer station, and the District G Wellhouse site.
