Utica Village of Trustees grants permission for installation of private ground mounted solar

The five-member Utica Planning Commission met last night and gave unanimous approval to Utica resident Jason Harmon to install ground-mounted solar panels along the side of his home at 3213 E. 9^th Road in Utica. The public hearing took place at 5:30 p.m. and Harmon himself appeared before the Commission to plead his case. Village attorney Herb Klein Harmon asked if the panels would generate any noise in their day-to-day function. The answer was only at the time of installation and Harmon was quick to point out that his panels would more or less mimic the well-received solar farm of his neighbor’s to the South. Harmon, from North Utica, also met the minimum criteria of building on 3 acres of land. Though in rural Utica, his neighborhood is zoned R-1 which requires the special use permit he sought last night. Harmon did his research, to reduce his carbon footprint and save on his energy bill, he said it’s best if the panels faced south to retrieve maximum energy. Also, they would not be mounted on the roof where strong winds could cause them to damage his home. At 6 p.m. a Special Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees unanimously gave their thumbs up to the project and work should commence in the Spring of 2024.