A medium-sized solar farm proposed for Hanover is moving ahead.

During the recent Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency meeting, board members voted 6-1 to say the project has no adverse impact on the environment, as far as the State Environmental Quality Review is concerned.

Hanover PV, LLC, along with its parent company RIC Energy, is proposing a 5-megawatt solar farm at 1317 routes 5 and 20 in Silver Creek. The solar panels would be placed on 31 acres of a 45-acre parcel and is expected to cost around $6.9 million.

A public hearing was held in October for the project. Jon Rappe, chief executive officer of Hanover PV, LLC, said many of the comments during the public hearing were not focused on the local project, specifically, but rather with concerns of solar energy and reliability. He didn’t feel those comments should prevent the project. “There are other paths to take issue with than rather than through our application with the IDA,” he said. “I don’t think that’s really something for this group to weigh in on.”

With regard to the environment, Rappe said they are working with many state agencies as well as local officials to address a variety of issues to ensure the project won’t have an adverse effect.

He said their contract requires by the end of the project, the land be returned to its original use. “We have a decommissioning obligation before the town that it will be returned to farmland,” said Rappe.

Mark Odell was the board member who voted against the project. He noted that he is an elected official, serving as a county legislator, who must keep in mind those he represents when he votes.

“While I agree reading through this I do not see any significant adverse effects on the environment … my concern is the displacement of agricultural land. For one, my constituents would rather see this on brown fields, capped landfills, places like that,” he said.

Now that the county IDA board has voted that the project will not have adverse effect on the environment, another vote will take place on Nov. 18 for final approval. The next county legislature meeting is set for Nov. 19. At the legislature meeting, Odell said he is hoping to have the legislature go on record opposing Payment In Lieu Of Tax agreements for solar projects. It is likely Hanover LLC will seek a PILOT agreement at the Nov. 18 IDA meeting.