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In its final meeting of 2024, the Suffolk City Council voted to deny a conditional use permit (CUP) for a proposed solar farm on White Marsh Road. The decision comes after residents raised concerns about noise pollution from a nearby solar farm, also located on White Marsh Road. The council first heard the proposed CUP at its Nov. 20 meeting. Concerns over noise prompted council to table that discussion for 30 days to give representatives with Nexamp, the solar energy company overseeing the site, a chance to reach out to more residents.

Representatives from the company told council the project would meet all code requirements, including a new solar ordinance related to noise studies. 

“Our project meets or exceeds all code requirements based on a new solar ordinance that was passed by the city and [went] into effect about a year ago,” Erick Alves de Sa, development manager for Scarp Solar said.

Despite assurances from the company, residents expressed skepticism, citing their negative experiences with the existing Stratford Solar site. Tiffany Alexander, a resident living across the street from the Stratford Solar site, described the noise as a constant disruption impacting her health.  

“This is constant,” Alexander said, of the noise. “It goes from 6 something in the morning, and sometimes it’s 5, sometimes it’s 9 or 10 o’clock at night … it’s very disruptive to our sleep. We can’t have the windows open.”

Council members acknowledged the concerns raised by residents and cited the negative impact of the existing Stratford Solar site. Council member Shelley Butler Barlow noted the proposed Nexamp solar site had received a “black eye” from the Stratford site. 

“That’s hard to overcome, and that’s on us because it took a while to reinforce the ordinances,” Butler Barlow said.

Mayor Michael Duman asked that city staff investigate the Stratford site to determine whether it meets the city’s code conditions. “We don’t take those things lightly,” Duman said of the noise complaints.

The council ultimately voted 7-1 to deny the permit.  Councilman Timothy Johnson said his experience with solar farms “is not good” and that he is “going to have a hard time as we move forward voting in favor of these.”