As much as we love solar, the Borrego Solar Project in Guilderland is NOT okay.

Note: This proposal has been pulled. We are continuing to monitor future development proposals for this property.

They will be submitting their site plan review to the Planning Board on Wednesday, September 8 2021.  This project is in a full Pine Bush Protection Area and has not been approved by the Albany Planning Board. They want to cut trees, it is out of character with the area, there are protected species of the Elfin and Karner Blue as well as some endangered species of plants.

Details from the Planning Board Agenda packet, starting on page 30.

Here is a map of 2819 Curry Road:

Here is 2825 Curry Road:

This is parcel 54 in 2017 Vision Plan, SW Morris/Curry Rd

INLAND PITCH PINE-SCRUB OAK BARRENS (PPSO): Open areas that contain varying
degrees of existing or remnant PPSO communities. For detailed descriptions of the natural
communities see Albany Pine Bush Inventory (Edinger et al. 2014).

SCORE 4 – Between zero and 19 percent of the open area supports PPSO community variants. The extent of the
PPSO community variant is either limited to a portion of the open area or it is intermixed with one or
more of the following communities: successional southern hardwood forest, brushy cleared land, or
disturbed communities (including cropland). These communities are not a natural part of the Albany
Pine Bush ecosystem, but rather they represent communities that support exotic species and/or early
successional weedy species typical of areas that have experienced physical disturbance.
Consequently, these areas should be restored to pitch pine-scrub oak community variants. Because of
the considerable difficulty in eradicating and controlling exotic and weedy species, other
management tools in addition to fire will be necessary for restoration. After restoration is complete,
fire will serve as the primary long-term maintenance tool.

LINKAGES: Open areas providing linkages that increase contiguity and provide opportunities for
dispersal between existing and potential Preserve lands.

SCORE 16 – Links neighboring sections of existing or potential Preserve with moderate to low levels of physical
development between the parcels (moderate to low disturbance e.g. two lane roads or widely spaced
buildings) so that dispersal of plant and animal species is moderately impacted OR links Karner blue
butterfly subpopulations to areas recommended for addition to the Preserve.

BUFFER AREAS: Open areas that provide buffer zones, including watershed protection, reduction
of impacts from adjacent development, and increased fire manageability.

SCORE 19 – Area provides potential buffer for Preserve management or reduced impacts from nearby developed
areas.

KNOWN SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES – Score 0 on the remaining