Poquott Mulls Ban on Solar and Wind Energy Devices

The Village of Poquott held a public hearing Thursday to discuss a six-month moratorium on the installation of certain types of solar and wind power devices on private properties.

The moratorium would temporarily prohibit wind turbines on private properties and freestanding solar panels not attached to the roof of a home while zoning laws are updated to address these structures. Additionally, the proposal wound mandate that a solar panel attached to the roof of a home may not be elevated more than three feet from its point of attachment.

"We don't want them to go out like wings, and we don't want them to go up in the air 65 feet," Poquott mayor Barbara Donovan said. "They have to stay within the zoning requirements."

The motion for a moratorium came in response to resident complaints over a freestanding solar panel which was erected on one property.

"Some of the other residents objected because it's not exactly aesthetically pleasing," Donovan said.

Poquott hasn't seen a specific case yet of a wind turbine being installed.

"We need to anticipate," deputy mayor Carol Lane said.

The village will now await a decision on the matter from the Suffolk County Planning Committee. If the committee gives Poquott the green light, the trustees will vote on the moratorium at its next meeting, July 22.

The Village of Old Field recently proposed a similar ban, which the Suffolk County Planning Committee did not approve. Still, Donovan said the Old Field decision hasn't discouraged Poquott from pursuing its moratorium.

"Ours is more geared toward our village," she said.

Despite notices in the village as well as a message on the village's website, only three residents attended the hearing.