To the Editor:

Attention: Knox residents.

I strongly urge you to attend the public hearing tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, at the Knox Town Hall. We received a certified letter about this meeting since we will have a front-row seat out our back windows to view the 4.4 megawatt proposed solar farm on 22 acres of currently wooded land.

This is the second round with RIC for this same parcel of land to get approval from the Knox Planning Board [“RIC Energy revives original Knox project with modifications,” The Altamont Enterprise, Feb. 8, 2023].

I wrote several letters to the editor in The Altamont Enterprise when RIC submitted its first proposal.

We got lucky the first time as one of the board members had to suddenly leave the meeting prior to casting her vote so they didn’t have a majority.

Sadly, here we are again. I lost countless hours of sleep the last time and it has started all over again. (Our neighbor had just gotten her blood pressure under control from the last time and now it’s off again.)

First, we did not buy our 6-plus acres of land and build a home over 30 years ago to look out our back windows at a sea of moving solar panels. We have enjoyed watching nature undisturbed for all this time.

The deer that annually eat the apples off our trees as well as the groundhogs stopped coming the year RIC was testing the land. We have enjoyed many more wild animals on our property who have brought us great joy over the years.

Second, I’m not going to delve into how the noise (it does not need to be loud — just unexpected) from the construction phase taking place six days a week until 6 p.m. will completely derail our daughter who has cerebral palsy.

I believe we were given three months for the construction phase last time: I have not heard any time reference yet for the installation of rotating panels.

If you’ve gone to see the Hilltowns Players performing at Berne-Knox-Westerlo prior to COVID, then you know Alyssa. She has been in six plays and is hoping to participate in this coming fall production.

I’ve done research on the startle reflex that infants almost always grow out of by six months. I always knew Alyssa still had it but I didn't realize that it affects most folks with CP. For some, it may taper off after many years. Meanwhile, imagine all your muscles tightening up, causing you to jump/jerk in your seat with your arms flying up in the air.

Now think about the noise (even if very low in volume) that we will hear during the construction phase. They just don’t understand how traumatic this will be for Alyssa as well as us trying to get her through each day. She completely shuts down and can’t focus on any activities of daily living such as eating!

Again, I urge anyone in the town who has vacant land adjacent to your property to attend so you are prepared should you find yourself in our shoes.

Don’t discount this even if you feel your neighbor would never consider selling/leasing their land because money has a way of changing a person’s mind. The land in question is owned by our neighbor who lives up the street.

Please note that RIC said to “check the website for any last-minute changes” : https://www.knoxny.org.

Valerie, Al

and Aly Gaige

Knox

Editor’s note: See related story.