Cowls/AMP Energy Solar Project ANRADs

What's an ANRAD?  The Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) is used to determine wetland boundaries on a parcel of land.  The Commission’s role in the ANRAD is to confirm the accuracy of the mapped wetland boundaries and the associated buffer zones. 

ANRADs are not specific to particular projects. Potential development projects will not be discussed during these Public Hearings. If specific projects are proposed in the future, they will be reviewed as part of a Planning Board Special Permit Hearing.  At that time, there will be opportunities for public comment. 

ANRADs on Baker Road, Montague/Carver Road, Pratt Corner East, Pratt Corner West, Leverett West, and Pratt Corner South

In early January 2020, TRC submitted to the Shutesbury Conservation Commission Abbreviated Notices of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) for four Cowls-owned parcels.  The parcels are located on Baker Road, Montague/Carver Road, and two on Pratt Corner Road (East and West).  At the initial public hearings on January 9, 2020, the Commission continued (postponed) the four hearings to allow sufficient time for the Commission to hire a consultant wetland scientist to peer review the wetland boundaries flagged on the parcels and mapped in the ANRADs. 

Thus far, our peer-review wetland scientist has completed a document review and has visited all four sites with a TRC representative and a Conservation Commissioner.  These visits lasted between five and seven hours.  At all four sites, the wetland boundaries were expanded.  TRC has reflagged and remapped the wetlands, and our peer-review wetland scientist has visited each site again to confirm the new boundaries.  When the peer review process is complete and the ANRADs have been revised to include the new wetland boundaries, the updated versions will be posted on this website.  TRC is now providing final documents for the Montague/Carver ANRAD.

In October 2020, TRC submitted 2 additional ANRADs.  The parcels are located on Pratt Corner Road South and Leverett Road West. Public hearings for these two new locations were opened on November 12. The review process for these two parcels has concluded and the Commission has issued Orders of Resource Area Delineation (ORAD). 

In October 2021, TRC resubmitted the Montague/Carver ANRAD due to quorum issues stemming from the extended length of time since the Public Hearing was opened in January 2020.  The resubmitted ANRAD includes an expanded area located on the south side of Carver Road. As a result of feedback from our peer review wetland scientist, TRC agreed to conduct additional wetland delineations on the parcel and on an abutting parcel. Our consultant reviewed the work in the field on May 5, 2022. The Public Hearing for this project closed on June 23, 2022, and the ORAD was issued on June 24, 2022.

In October 2021, the Commission determined that it lacked a qualifying quorum to approve three of the ANRADS: Pratt Corner West, Baker Road, and Montague/Carver Road. This situation arose from the length of the public hearing process and turnover in Commission membership. The Commission determined that the ANRADS for Pratt Corner West and Baker Road needed to be resubmitted if the applicant wished to continue with the process. At the present time, TRC has indicated it will not pursue resubmitting the Baker Road ANRAD.

In March, 2022, TRC resubmitted the Pratt Corner West ANRAD due to quorum issues with the first ANRAD. The Public Hearing opened and closed on March 24, 2022. The ORAD was issued on April 5, 2022.

The 6 ANRADs are posted below. As the final documents for each ANRAD are received from TRC, they will also be posted below.

If you have questions about the ANRAD process that are not answered here, please contact the Commission either by phone (413-259-3792) or email (concom@shutesbury.org). 

Updates on Solar Project ANRAD Public Hearings:

Until the ANRAD review process is complete, the hearings will be continued (postponed). Once all information has been received, the applicant will resend abutter notices.  Below are the current dates for the ANRAD public hearings:

Public Hearing for resubmitted ANRAD at ZD-37 (Montague/Carver)-with expanded area

  •           Public Hearing continued to January 13, 2022, at 8:15 pm.
  •           Public Hearing continued to December 9, 2020
  •           Public Hearing opened on October 14, 2021
  •           Previous ANRAD withdrawn in October 2021
  •           Continued Public Hearing, January 13, 2022
  •           Continued Public Hearing, March 10, 2022
  •           Continued Public Hearing, May 12, 2022, 7:30 pm
  •           Public Hearing closed Thursday, June 23, 7:30 pm
  •           ORAD issued June 24, 2022

 

  • Public Hearing for ANRAD at ZU-2 (Pratt South)
    Public Hearing opened on November 12, 2020, at 7:20 pm
    Public Hearing closed on October 14, 2021

 

  • Public Hearing for ANRAD at ZG-2 (Pratt Corner Road East)
    Public Hearing closed on November 12, 2020 - Order of Resource Area Delineation has been issued.
     

  • Public Hearing for ANRAD at ZQ-6 (Baker/West Pelham)
    Public Hearing closed on March 11, 2021 - Order of Resource Area Delineation has been issued, but ANRAD needs to be resubmitted.
     

  • Public Hearing for ANRAD at ZF-15 (Leverett West)
    opened on November 12, 2020 at 7:10 pm
    Public Hearing closed on April 22, 2021- Order of Resource Area Delineation has been issued.

 

  • Public Hearing for resubmitted ANRAD at ZW-6 (Pratt Corner Road West)

  • Public Hearing closed on January 14, 2021 - Order of Resource Area Delineation issued.
  • Previous ANRAD withdrawn in October, 2021
  • ANRAD resubmitted in March, 2022
  • Public Hearing closed on March 24, 2022
  • New ORAD issued April 4, 2022

Links to Cowls ANRAD and peer review comments are posted below

Montague-Carver Road

 

Baker Road

Pratt Corner Road East

Pratt Corner Road West

Pratt Corner Road South

Leverett Road West

 

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