BRANDON — The Brandon selectboard has given its blessing to another solar project in town.
Mike Norris of Norris Brothers Solar Development of New Haven appeared before the board on April 24 to request a letter of support for a 500-kilowatt solar array on 3.75 acres next to the Smoke Rise Quarry off Route 7 north of downtown.
Norris said he and his brother Pete started the solar company three years ago with the goal of building smaller, 150- to 500-kilowatt solar projects.
“Our goal is to build projects that are not contentious and not visible,” Norris told the board.
The Smoke Rise project certainly meets those goals. The property lies just north of the now-defunct marble quarry, accessible only by a gated entrance off Route 7 about a quarter mile north of Lover’s Lane. It is on the other side of a rise and completely hidden from view.
“It virtually and literally would not be visible to anyone,” Norris said.
He added that he believed the project is perfect for the quarry property due to the area’s “limited development potential.”
The board agreed, voting unanimously to issue a letter of support for the project.
Norris said he and his brother hope to secure a Certificate of Public Good from the Public Service Board this summer, and start construction in the fall.