LUMBERTON — A proposal to build a 117-acre solar farm near the South Jersey Regional Airport is being reconsidered.
Last month, the Effisolar Energy Co. in Ontario received approval to construct a large ground-mounted solar-panel facility on the Inductotherm property on Stacy Haines Road, across from the airport.
Since then, the township has received at least one formal complaint asking for the Land Development Board to overturn its own decision.
The letter, from Southampton resident Karl Kilpatrick to Mayor James Conway, informed the Township Committee that the land in question is a “major historical archeological site.”
The Koens-Crispin property was one of the first archeological sites in the country to be scientifically excavated and researched about 100 years ago, Kilpatrick said.
Researchers believe the land was once occupied by a Lenni-Lenape Indian village and contained a burial ground and at least a dozen living and working areas.
Kilpatrick is asking that approvals for the massive solar farm be halted until an archeological investigation is conducted.
“It’s a humongous site, and they intend to cover it up with thousands of pounds of solar panels,” he said Friday. “I’m not opposed to solar farms, but this isn’t the right place for it.”
Township officials said the letter is being reviewed. Conway said no action was taken on the letter, but it could resurface at a future committee meeting.
“Right now, our solicitor is reviewing the letter and he is collecting information,” he said Friday. “But we won’t be talking about it until he has a chance to review it.”
Kilpatrick’s appeal also noted his dissatisfaction with a wetlands survey as well as the potential dangers of having large, reflective solar panels in close proximity to an airport.
“Most pilots will tell you they don’t mind a small solar field, but this is going to be huge,” he said. “I just think it’s a travesty to destroy this area that has such a wealth of history and archeological value.”
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