Some residents are taking issue with the adjusted location for the proposed Antigonish solar
garden.
Brierly Brook resident Ed Gillis said the original plan for the solar garden location was the former dump site in the area but because of geo-technical reasons, a portion of the site was deemed unstable and the location had to move slightly west on the same property. Gillis said this is a concern to residents because it`s a both a buffer zone between the former dump and wildlife corridor.
Gillis said the forest area the proposed garden will move to is still unstable.
Jeff Lawrence, CAO for the Town of Antigonish, said the change was made because of site stabilization, adding residents were notified of the change in April. He said the new site was deemed appropriate so they had to make a redesign, noting the garden will be the same size with a section in the middle where there won`t be any panels. Lawrence said there was some tree removal and more will take place, adding the entire site is about 19 acres and the area they will be removing trees on is about 10-12 acres.
Right now, Lawrence said there is a delay because of the finding of a nesting eagle on site. The Department of Natural Resources asked the town to hold off construction until August 15 and the town complied. Once construction begins, the intention is for the solar garden to be operational by the spring/summer of 2023.