Our Eden Association (OEA) is a Maine non-profit corporation that was formed by full-year and part-year residents. OEA sprang into action when it learned the magnitude and scope of a proposed 181-acre industrial solar project to be developed at and near Christian Hill Rd. and Shave Hill Rd. That project would have cut over 10,000 mature trees and intruded on the Kezar Lake watershed, harming the town and the quality of life it affords all who live and visit here.

On January 25, the citizens of the town gathered at the Fire Barn to adopt by an overwhelming 243-50 margin a moratorium on large-scale solar projects. While the moratorium temporarily prevents that big solar project from moving forward, it also gives us time to address solar energy in the Town Ordinances. Lovell citizens want to control how solar is developed in Lovell. The moratorium gives us the time to adopt a solar ordinance and Do Solar Right.

On February 2, the Planning Board unanimously approved a stop gap measure that would prohibit ALL land uses not expressly permitted in the Zoning Ordinance. They sent the stop gap measure to the Select Board for inclusion on the warrant for the March 5 Town Meeting. While this is a good idea because it will put an end to judging new land uses according to the “next closest” land use code, it is not a solar ordinance. The solar ordinance will be offered to voters at a special town meeting AFTER the March 5 annual town meeting. Please stay tuned for the date and time. It is crucial that voters turn out for that meeting the way we did for the moratorium meeting and vote. (Proposed Special Town Meeting is April 2nd at 9am. The website will be updated once confirmed.)

Meanwhile, OEA conducted exhaustive research to develop an amendment expressly dealing with solar. Hundreds of towns have written ordinances for this new land use in recent years. The OEA solar amendment blended the best models from towns as close-by as Denmark and, with your input, customized them to fit the needs of Lovell. Special provisions were made to facilitate solar for personal, business and municipal use within Lovell, as distinguished from industrial solar projects selling power outside of town.

You, the voters, not some outside interests, will determine how solar is to be brought to Lovell.

• Personal Scale Solar Energy Systems – Minor may have total panel area of up to 1200 square feet, more than enough to power the average home in Maine.
• Personal Scale Solar Energy Systems – Major may have total panel area of up to 21,780 square feet (the equivalent of half an acre), sufficient to power business and municipal uses in Lovell.
  • When mounted on walls or roofs, PSSES, whether Minor or Major, are permitted in every district and subject to minimal performance standards. Ground mounted PSSES are subject to the same minimal performance standards as wall or roof mounted PSSES, except that they are prohibited in the Resource Protection, Shoreland Limited Residential, Stream Protection and Aquifer Protection Overlay Districts.
• Large-Scale Solar Energy Systems may have total panel area of less than 10 acres on any one lot and may be the subject of conditional use applications if sited in the Commercial-Industrial district. LSSES are not permitted in other districts.
  
• The OEA solar amendment was presented to the Select Board and the Planning Board by petition of over 200 registered voters and will be subject to town vote which is expected to occur at a special town meeting in early April. Please stay tuned for confirmation of the date.